


Shadow Warrior

by Fave101



Series: Cold Grey Light of Dawn [2]
Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers, Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: Blind Character, Blindness, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-15
Updated: 2021-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-23 06:34:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 23
Words: 29,693
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30051393
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fave101/pseuds/Fave101
Summary: Matthew has been known as one of the most hostile and dangerous reapers.  He likes to be left alone for the most part, but when circumstances get the better of him, he has to rely on others.
Relationships: Canada/Prussia (Hetalia)
Series: Cold Grey Light of Dawn [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2210727





	1. Chapter One

Shadow Warrior

AN: Holo! This is the sequel to my other fic 'Cold Grey Light of Dawn' which is an au of another fic 'Don't Fear The Reaper.' You really only need to read CGLOD to understand this. This is the fifth book in this series, wow. I really enjoy writing for rotg/hetalia. Still keeping with the naming tradition.

Started writing on December 9th, 2018  
Started Editing on January 10th, 2019

Jack hummed to himself flying on the wind towards home. Over the last few years the winter spirit had called a sanatorium in Canada with a certain Reaper, home. He couldn't wait to get home and talk with his boyfriend. He hoped he would be there. Matthew had been busy for over a week helping souls and he didn't have much time to see him let alone talk.

The winter spirit landed on the windowsill and peaked in. He smiled excitedly seeing a poof of blond hair sticking out from under their big fluffy blanket. He wondered if the Reaper had eaten yet. He doubted it and hopped off the windowsill telling wind to take him to a market. He picked up some fruit, cookies and milk before flying back home.

Jack quietly opened the window and carefully climbed in. He set the food down and went over to Matthew. He crouched down next to him and brushed the blanket off his head. He smiled seeing the Reaper peacefully asleep. The Guardian leaned down and kissed his forehead. The Canadian grumbled and pushed his face away. Jack laughed and caught his hand pressing kisses into his palm.

"I brought food, Birdie." The winter spirit said. The Reaper yawned sleepily barely opening his eyes. He smiled seeing Jack. He reached out and wrapped his arms around him pulling the Guardian down into the blankets. He hummed happily burying his face into the crook of his boyfriend's neck. "I missed you."

"I missed you too, Jackie." Matthew said through a yawn. He pulled the winter spirit closer and wrapped them together in the blanket. He pressed sleepy kisses along Jack's neck and collarbone before burring his face back into the crook of his neck. Matthew let out a content sigh closing his eyes again.

The Reaper was always very cuddly after a wave and being away. The Guardian never minded and always loved being with him. He hummed playing with the hair at the nape of his neck letting his boyfriend sleep a bit longer, he knew he needed it. 

After a few hours, he gently kissed him awake. Matthew was still half asleep as Jack sat up and pulled him up with him. He flopped back down into the blankets with a yawn spreading his wings out. 

"Come on, Birdie." The Guardian laughed pulling him up again. The Canadian smiled lazily at him. "I brought food. You hungry?"

"Hmmm." Matthew hummed in conformation leaning into Jack's side. He handed him a package of strawberries he had grabbed earlier. The Reaper leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Thank you."

"No problem." The winter spirit smiled kissing him properly. "I love you."

"Love you too." The Canadian smiled kissing him again. He couldn't help it after being away for over a week. He hated leaving the Guardian, but he still had to do his job. No matter how much he hated being away from Jack.

Matthew munched happily on the strawberries. He finished the package before moving onto the blue berries. He was still a bit hungry and stole some of the Guardian's cookies.

"Did you eat at all?" Jack asked raising an eyebrow.

"No." The Reaper shook his head. "I didn't have time."

"Bad one?" The winter spirit asked. Matthew sighed and nodded. 

"Yeah. They all are, but this one was crazy." The Canadian shook his head. "Normally I'd have a second to eat or sleep, but I didn't this time."

"You didn't eat the apple I brought you?" Jack asked.

"I was going to, but there was a lady digging through a dumpster. She didn't look like she had a home. I left it on her bag for her." Matthew explained. "She needed it more than me."

"You're so awesome, Birdie." The Guardian smiled gently. The Reaper always thought of others before himself. Despite his normally grumpy exterior Jack knew he cared. Matthew didn't like to admit it.

"Not as awesome as you." The Canadian smiled. He opened his arms and the winter spirit crawled into his lap.

Matthew hummed and wrapped his arms around his waist before encasing him in his wings. Jack always loved when he did that. It made him feel so small, warm and completely safe in his arms. He smiled happily kissing him. He trailed more kisses along his jaw before resting his head on his shoulder. The Reaper yawned and rested his head on top of his boyfriend's.

"You're so warm." Jack smiled as the Canadian nuzzled into his hair.

"And you're nice and cold." Matthew sighed happily. He burst into a yawn.

"Ready to have another nap?" The winter spirit asked. 

The Canadian nodded. He was practically falling asleep already. He laid back in the blankets with the Guardian on his chest. Matthew fell back asleep almost instantly, but Jack stayed awake. He hummed happily watching the Reaper sleep. It was one of the few times he looked completely at ease. He looked like an angel.

Jack was just about to fall asleep when Matthew shifted. He looked up at him seeing he was awake. The Canadian sighed rubbing his eyes.

"Have to go?" The winter spirit asked.

"Unfortunately." The Reaper grumbled. Jack sat back and Matthew sat up. He stretched and spread out his wings with a groan. "I'm sorry."

"You don't need to apologize." The Guardian said kissing him. "I love you."

"I love you too." Matthew sighed kissing him again. He really didn't want to leave, but he knew he had too. Jack stood up and offered him his hand. The Canadian took it and his boyfriend pulled him up into a gentle kiss. "I'll see you later."

"Yeah." The winter spirit hummed letting him go. 

Matthew gave him a small smile pulling up his hood and stepping through a shadow. He reappeared on the roof of the sanatorium. He spread his wings and took to the sky following his instincts to the soul.

\-----❄️"Only the dead have seen the end of war."❄️-----

A few weeks later...

The Reaper yawned tiredly. After the last wave he had a few down days where he only had to help a few souls. The last week or so there had been another wave. He barely had time to himself. Jack came and spoke with him every chance he got. Matthew really appreciated it, he always made his day better.

The Canadian seemed to have a few minutes of down time. He hoped he had enough time to sleep, at least for a few minutes. He hadn't had time to rest the whole wave. He hummed tiredly walking into a forest looking for a nice place to sleep. He was already half asleep as he walked.

Matthew cried out in pain feeling something bite into his leg. He could feel his bone snap from the pressure as blood ran down the limb. He instantly froze trying to take the weight off his leg. He looked down wondering what had bit him. His mind was clouded with pain, but he realized he stepped in a rusty old bear trap.


	2. Chapter Two

Chapter Two

Matthew gritted his teeth seeing the trap. He had half expected to see an animal, but the trap wasn't a welcome sight either. He very carefully kneeled down next to it taking in the damage. The sharp teeth of the trap dug into his skin drawing blood. The pressure from the jaws of the trap had snapped his fibula or tibia, he wasn't sure which. He didn't know how to get out of the trap. 

The Reaper tried to pry it open. He used all the strength he could muster to try and get it open. The rusted teeth dug into his palms, but he couldn't even get it to budge. He guessed the hinges were so badly rusted when it activated, they were locked in place. He noticed there was a chain attached to it. The Canadian picked it up and pulled on it. He tugged it from the under brush and realized it was wrapped around a tree.

Matthew stood back up biting his lip to try to hold in his pain. It was even worse when he tried to get over to the tree. He couldn't put any weight on his leg without crying out in pain. It took him what felt like hours to reach the tree. He leaned against it pressing his forehead to it trying to catch his breath. The Reaper pressed his back to the tree and slowly slid down it. He cried out in pain as he accidentally jostled his foot.

The Canadian had to take a moment to calm down and think straight. The pain was starting to overwhelm him. The feeling from the broken bone was bad enough on its own, but coupled with the spikes still in his leg, made his mind constantly clouded with stabbing pain. Matthew reached and grabbed the chain and roughly yanked on it. He noticed it was wrapped around the tree more than once and hooked together with a thick lock. He cursed.

The Reaper had no way to break the trap or the chain. He didn't have the energy to shadow jump or even stand. He knew shadow jumping wouldn't help anyway, he'd still be chained to the tree. A shadow wouldn't snap a thick chain. He didn't know we're he'd go anyway if he could. Death's was to far and he had no idea where Jack was.

Matthew bit his lip. He didn't have any other options except sit and hope a raven or Jack would find him. He knew Death was feeling his pain. He knew he'd send a raven, but he didn't know if it would be able to find him in the dense forest. They'd had trouble finding him a few times before. He hoped this wasn't one of those times.

The Reaper just sighed trying to get comfortable. It was impossible to get a painless angle with his foot still in the trap. He settled on having his knee up with the trap flat on the ground. He thought he might as well try to get some sleep. He was internally panicking thinking about what if it wasn't Jack who found him? What if it was another spirit? He was in no condition to fight. He also didn't know if the winter spirit would be able to open the trap either. He could freeze it, but he still wasn't sure if it would break. 

Matthew shook the thoughts from his mind. He closed his eyes and listened to the forest around him trying to fall asleep. His exhaustion from the last few days took over and he fell asleep quickly. 

\-----❄️"Happiness is not the absence of problems, it's the ability to deal with them."❄️-----

The Canadian woke up a few hours later. It was still light out. He had been stuck there since early morning. It had become hotter during the day. He was sweating and thirsty. His mouth was dry and he had a small headache. He was very uncomfortable. Matthew groaned looking down at his leg. 

The pain had become a dull ache. Every time he shifted slightly a bolt of pain would shoot up his spine. The wound was trying to start to heal around the trap, but it couldn’t. He was still bleeding very slowly. The Reaper knew he couldn't do anything except sit and wait.

Night eventually came and it became slightly colder. He focused on the slight chill in the air wondering if Jack was near. He couldn't feel a breeze at all. The forest was completely still. Matthew would have found it peaceful if it wasn't for his current situation. He closed his eyes trying to fall asleep again.

"Well, well, well." The Reaper's eyes flew open spotting Pitch standing a few meters a head of him. He quickly scrambled onto his feet holding in a scream of pain. His face didn't mask it and the Nightmare King smiled. "Hello darling. You seem to be stuck. Is there anything I can do to help?" He asked voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Leave me alone." Matthew growled defensively pulling his dagger. He swayed slightly as his vision swam. He almost fell over, but steadied himself on the tree. He knew he wouldn't win a fight against Pitch. He was weak from blood loss, in pain and dehydrated.

"Why would I do that when you're so vulnerable?" The spirit of darkness laughed. "This is a perfect opportunity to kill you." He purred stepping forward. The Reaper let out another low growl. "But I'd rather cause you more pain. It's much more fun."

Pitch smiled wickedly as he made a scythe from sand. Matthew tried not to show his nerves, but it wasn't working well. He knew the Nightmare King knew he was in pain and weak. They both knew he was in no condition to even be standing let alone fight.

The spirit of darkness smirked and rushed at him. The Canadian was too slow to react. Pitch easily disarmed him throwing his dagger into the forest. He hooked his foot behind Matthew's good foot and tripped him. The Nightmare King jumped on top of the Reaper pinning him to the ground underneath him. Matthew cried out unable to hold it in as his leg was jostled violently. The King of Nightmares smiled at his pain.

"How long have you been here? I thought you'd put up at least a bit of a fight." Pitch purred pressing the pole if his scythe to his throat. He put just enough pressure to keep him pinned, but able to still breathe. "You're so weak. I almost pity you, sweetheart." Matthew whined and struggled trying to push back against the man on top of him. "Almost."

"Leave me alone." The Reaper snapped again. He knew the Nightmare King wasn't going to just leave him alone.

"Oh, honey." Pitch cooed in a mocking tone. The Canadian growled angrily pushing weakly back against him. "I can never do that."

The spirit of darkness smiled and dissolved his scythe. He knew Matthew was too weak to push him off. He pulled something from his robe. The Canadian strained to see what it was. Pitch just smiled holding a vile in front of his nose. He instantly recognized what was in it and growled. He struggled trying to get away, but he couldn't.

Pitch laughed evilly at the Reaper's attempts at getting away. Matthew had never feared him before, but in his current situation he was terrified. He was completely at the mercy of the spirit of darkness.


	3. Chapter Three

Chapter Three

Pitch laughed evilly seeing Matthew struggle and writhe underneath him. The Reaper easily recognized the vile full of dreamsand. He knew it burned him and even the small amount could do a lot of damage. He had burned himself before, but it was his own fault.

The Nightmare King smiled. He reached down putting his hand on his forehead roughly forcing his head back. The Canadian struggled using both hands to try and push his hand away. He was too weak to even slightly move him. 

"Hmmm, you're pretty hot." Pitch purred with a sly smile. "Must have a fever." He looked directly down into his eyes and his smile fell. "Those eyes always got me. So innocent and pure looking, beautiful and gentle, but deadly." The Nightmare King sighed. "Those eyes betray who you really are."

Matthew growled still trying to struggle and get away. He didn't know why he was bothering. If he got away from the spirit of darkness he'd still be stuck in the trap and chained to a tree. He had no place to go. Pitch laughed at him rolling his eyes. He just smiled down at him again.

"What would you do without your sight?" The Nightmare King asked. The Canadian's face shifted to confused. "When you can see nothing, but the deaths that play out in your mind? How would you cope? Could you even cope?"

"W-what?" Matthew stuttered in confusion. 

Pitch just smiled wickedly. He forced his eyes open with his thumb and forefinger. The Canadian grunted renewing his efforts to get the spirit of darkness off of him. Pitch just rolled his eyes letting out a sigh. He brought the vile of dreamsand back into his line of sight and Matthew understood what he was about to do. He growled as he brought the sand closer to his face. The Nightmare King hummed to himself as he poured the sand across his opened eyes. 

The Reaper cried out screaming in pain. The sand had almost instantly blinded him. He tried to blink the sand away, but it only rubbed it in deeper. Tears ran down his face. He wasn't sure if it was blood or not, but there was dreamsand laced with them. It burned streaks down his face. The last thing he saw was the Nightmare King's wicked smile. He curled in on himself as Pitch's weight disappeared from his chest. He heard his laugh echo off the trees before he was left alone. Matthew didn't know what to do to stop the pain. He almost wanted to claw his eyes out and hoped it stopped. He knew it wouldn't help and didn't. He cocooned himself in his wings hiding from the world. He couldn't stand the terrible burning. Luckily, he didn't have to feel it for long. He quickly passed out from the overwhelming pain.

\-----❄️"Do what is right, not what is easy nor what is popular."❄️-----

The Canadian woke up hours later. He was still in pain and really didn't want to be conscious. His eyes still felt like they were on fire and gritty. He couldn't see anything and it scared him. He was completely blind. He didn't want to reach and feel for the damage. He knew it wasn't good. The Reaper groaned wishing it was colder out. The heat had already been bothering him, but now with his burns it was so much worse. His leg was still sore, but most of his focus was on his eyes. It was just a dull throb compared to the burning in his eyes.

Matthew's stomached rumbled and he sighed. He had no idea how long he'd been chained to the tree. He didn't really know if it was even day or night. He suddenly heard footsteps and froze. He listened intently trying to figure out who or what was near him. They sounded to heavy to be human, but the Canadian wasn't sure. The footsteps got closer and closer. He felt something sniff his hair and he stopped breathing for a moment.

The Reaper jumped as something nudged his shoulder. He tentatively reached out and his fingers brushed against some fur. He recoiled in surprise at first, but the thing whined. He knew it was an animal. He wasn't scared anymore. He loved animals and he had never met one that didn't like him. The Canadian felt along its face mapping it in his mind. He figured it was a bear, but not a fully grown one. He seemed too small.

"Hello." Matthew said with a small smile.

The bear let out a small whine and pushed his nose into his hand. He hummed and pet him again. He was happy for the distraction from the pain. The bear curled up next to him and rested his head on the Reaper's side. He smiled weakly petting the soft thick fur. He wondered where the bear had come from.

Matthew sighed pulling his hood back up. He coughed quietly with a groan. He felt hot. The air was still warm, but he wasn't sure if it was from that. He knew his leg wound was most likely infected, it would be a miracle if it wasn't. He felt sick and exhausted. He was dehydrated and hungry. He was completely blind and had no options for escape.

The Reaper knew he wasn't fully immortal. It was something he always knew and it didn't really bother him. He knew the wounds could kill him if they were left unattended. He knew he was sick. He wondered how long he was going to be stuck and if he'd live to get unstuck. He knew he was still bleeding slowly. Matthew hoped Jack would find him, but he wasn't sure at this point. He still hadn't felt a breeze. He didn't want the Guardian to find him dead. 

The Canadian was fighting to stay awake. He was scared that if he went to sleep, he wouldn't wake up. Years ago he would have welcomed it. A way to die that technically didn't break his promise to Jack, but now he would fight to stay alive. He had a reason to and he didn't want to leave him behind.

The bear let out a huff pulling the Canadian from his thoughts. He sighed and pet the bear again. It leaned into his touch and he smiled. He liked the bear and hoped he stayed. He didn't really want to be alone. 

Matthew laid and pet the bear for hours. It stayed by his side as the air got colder. He would try to raise his head or sit up, but he didn't have the energy too. As the day went on, he felt worse. He was still fighting to stay awake. Soon he smelt rain and not to long after it started to pour. The Reaper moved his wing to cover him and the bear from the water that made it through the tree leaves. The bear shifted closer to him and let out a breath. 

The Canadian smiled gently and the bear nosed his chin. He couldn't help, but pet it again. It got colder the more it rained. Normally, the cold didn't affect him, but he was shivering. The bear pressed against him sensing that he was cold. Matthew was grateful for his warmth. He listened to the forest around him wondering if Pitch was there watching him. He kept petting the bear and he stayed keeping him warm and giving company. After a while the exhaustion finally caught up with him and he passed out.


	4. Chapter Four

Chapter Four

Matthew woke up to voices yelling. He was completely disoriented and confused. He didn't know where he was or what was going on. He could only feel pain and still see nothing. He heard a growl and remembered there was a bear with him. The bear must have been trying to protect him from who ever was there. The Reaper tried to sit up. He was weak, dizzy and sick. He barely sat up and felt like he was going to fall over. He tried to listen to the voices to see what they wanted.

The voices sounded familiar, but he couldn't make out any words. He wasn't sure if it was because of how fuzzy his mind was or if they weren't speaking a language he knew. He could tell they were arguing by their tone. The Canadian instinctively became defensive. He growled moving his wings to cover his sides. He didn't have a weapon and was to exhausted to use his powers. He reached out and found the bear. He wasn't to far from him snarling and growling at the voices.

\-----❄️"One day I will find the right words, and they will be simple."❄️-----

"No, Sandy!" Jack yelled blocking the ball of dreamsand he threw with a blast of ice. "Don't!"

"Why?" Sandy asked confused with his sand. 

The Reaper and bear in front of them were clearly agitated. Birdie didn't seem to recognize them or Jack. They could see his injured leg and how heavy he was breathing. He was angry and growling. His face was covered by the shadow of his hood.

"Throw it at the bear, not Birdie." The winter spirit said quickly. 

Sandy nodded and quickly knocked the bear out. The Canadian didn't seem to notice until the bear flopped with a thud peacefully asleep. He was even more agitated. Jack set his staff down and walked slowly forward towards his boyfriend. He had his hands out to show him he wasn't carrying a weapon. He didn't know why he wasn't recognizing him. 

The Reaper growled as he got closer. He whacked the Guardian with his wing, but it was so weak it barely felt like a breeze. The winter spirit crouched down in front of him and Matthew tried to punch him. Jack yelped in surprise as his fist connected with his nose. He quickly caught the Reaper's wrists so he couldn't hit him again.

"Jack!" Tooth yelled about to fly forward. The Guardian shook his head and she stayed back.

"Birdie! It's me." Jack said trying to look at his face, it was still hidden in shadow. He was growling and trying to pull away from the winter spirit. He seemed very weak and tired. "Birdie please. It's Jack, I want to help you."

"Jack?" The Reaper asked slowly. The Guardian smiled and nodded. "Jack?"

"Yes, it's Jack." The winter spirit said. Matthew wasn't struggling or trying to pull his fists away anymore. Jack quickly pulled him into a hug and the Canadian buried his face in the crook of his neck. "We're going to get you out of here."

"Where is the bear?" Matthew asked quietly. "What happened to him?"

"Sandy put him to sleep so he couldn't hurt us." Jack explained. The Reaper nodded slowly.

"'Us?'" The Canadian asked confused. The winter spirit nodded. "Who's 'us?'"

"The other Guardians are here. We'll help you out of the trap, okay?" The Guardian asked and Matthew nodded slowly. He knew the Reaper didn't exactly like or trust the Guardians.

The other Guardians had followed him when a raven found him at the pole. The raven seemed very urgent and pulled on his hood. He quickly followed the bird knowing the Canadian could be in trouble. He hadn't seen him in a day or two, but that was normal for a wave. He didn't expect to find him like this, but he was glad he found him.

Jack smiled gently and traced his jaw before pushing his hood down. His eyes widened seeing his face.

"Oh, Birdie." The Guardian said sadly seeing his eyes. It made sense why the Reaper hadn't recognized them right away. His eyes were a mess. The whites were a deep red, the irises were still violet, but they were dull and the pupils were clouded over. The skin around them was also burned an there were a few streaks of burned skin going down his face. He quickly pulled Matthew into a hug. The Canadian buried his face in the crook of his neck. "It's okay. You're going to be okay."

\-----❄️"We write to taste life twice, in the moment and in retrospect."❄️-----

The Reaper nodded, he trusted Jack. The winter spirit's cool skin felt nice on his tortured burned skin. He sighed from the slight relief. His mind was still fuzzy and he couldn't believe Jack was actually there. He wondered if he'd wake up and be alone. He heard foot steps and his head snapped up towards the sound.

"It's just North." The winter spirit said reassuringly holding him tightly.

Matthew nodded slowly as the footsteps got closer. He could hear a flutter and assumed it was Tooth's wings. He assumed the other Guardians were close too. The footsteps stopped and he knew North must have crouched down next to him.

"Birdie?" The Russian said slowly. "Is it alright if I get that trap off of you?"

"Yeah." The Reaper said quietly. His guard was completely down. He knew how hurt and sick he was. He'd take any help he could get at this point. Jack held him protectively and pressed a kiss into his hair. North explained everything he was going to do before he did it. Matthew would nod giving him permission to continue.

The trap hurt to get off. He whined biting his lip through the pain. North managed to pull it open and Jack helped him lift his leg out. He wasn't strong enough to do it himself. The older Guardian let the trap snap closed before throwing it away. He jumped at the thud it made. Matthew could feel blood trickling down his leg. North wrapped a cloth around the wound. He recoiled from the touch and pain. The older Guardian quickly apologized and he let him finish wrapping it. The Reaper gritted his teeth to keep in his pain.

"Thank you." The Canadian said wholeheartedly. He gave a weak smile in the direction he knew North was in. 

"It is no problem, Birdie." The Guardian of wonder said. He could hear the smile in his voice.

"Matthew." The Reaper sighed. He guessed it would be okay to let them know. The Canadian was finding it hard to stay awake. "My name is Matthew."

"Oh, well. It is no problem, Matthew." North hummed. He was quiet for a second before he spoke again. "We can take him back to the pole. That wound is infected, the yetis can help get rid if it quickly."

"Yeah." Jack nodded making the decision for him. The Canadian wasn't in the mood or strong enough to argue. The winter spirit carefully picked him up. Matthew's fingers tangled in his sweater and he buried his face in the crook of his neck. "Sleep for now, Birdie."

"Okay." The Reaper sighed. He didn't really want to sleep. He was fighting to stay awake. He thought that if he went to sleep Jack would disappear.

"Really, Birdie." The winter spirit pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead. "I'll be here when you wake up."

"Fine." The Canadian mumbled sleepily. He tried to fall asleep and almost instantly passed out.


	5. Chapter Five

Chapter Five

Jack carefully carried Matthew along to the sleigh. He didn't want to jostle him or his wounds. He didn't want to cause him more pain than he had already been through. The other Guardians were around him looking at them. They all, except Bunny, seemed concerned for the Reaper. The winter spirit was too. He knew he wasn't fully immortal. He'd never seen him this out of it from a wound. He couldn't remember a wound getting infected either. The Guardian of fun held on to him tightly the whole ride to the pole. 

"Don't look so worried, Frostbite." Bunny commented eyeing them. He did not look happy to see Matthew again. "It's not like he'll die, mate."

The winter spirit just shook his head and looked down at the Canadian. The Guardians didn't know about his immortality. Jack was happy when they finally landed. North lead him through the pole to the medical wing. The other Guardians had to leave to do their jobs. Tooth and Sandy didn't seem to want to leave, but Bunny was eager too.

"Set him there." North gestured to one of the huge yeti sized beds as they made it to the hospital wing.

Jack shook his head and climbed onto the bed still holding the Reaper. He cradled him in his arms being careful of the wound on his leg. He didn't want him to wake up alone or let him go. The older Guardian just shrugged and went to get a yeti doctor. He easily found his best one and brought her to look at Matthew. The yeti carefully straightened his injured leg out to get a better look. She took away the cloth and cut away his pant leg. The yeti garbled shaking her head seeing the wound.

"The bones are definitely broken." North translated. Jack nodded. The yeti traced a red line moving up the Reaper's leg. It stopped just below his knee. "It's infected as well. The infection is already moving."

The winter spirit bit his lip and North reassured him that they would take care of him. He was still nervous. North or the yeti didn't know that the Reaper wasn't fully immortal. The yeti doctor cleaned the wound as best as she could. After she decided to set the bone straight. Matthew hadn't woken up through the check, but Jack knew this would cause him a lot of pain. The Guardian held him tightly while North put his hands on his leg just below the knee. They didn't want him to wake up and kick out hurting himself further.

\-----❄️"Fiction is the truth inside the lie."❄️-----

Matthew woke with a cry as pain stabbed through his leg again. He was confused and didn't know where he was. He just knew he wanted to get away from the pain. He struggled and tried to move, but his body was heavy. He knew someone or something was holding him down. The Reaper let out a quiet warning growl as he struggled to get away.

"Sorry, Birdie." He instantly relaxed hearing Jack's voice. The winter spirit pressed kisses into his hair. It was his arms wrapped around him, the Canadian felt safe knowing it was him. "We just needed to set the bone so it would heal properly."

"Okay." The Reaper said weakly. His mind was still clouded and fuzzy.

"I love you." Jack hummed kissing his temple.

"I love you too." Matthew said with a gentle smile.

"Matthew?" North's voice made him jump. He didn't realize that others were there with them. He tilted his head in the older Guardian's direction. "Can we check your eyes?"

The Canadian nodded. He was too tired to argue. He was a bit confused when fur covered hands gently cupped his jaw. He didn't remember North having fur. It took him a moment to remember about the yetis. He guessed it was one of them. He knew he was right when the yeti garbled something. North translated for him, the yeti was telling him to look in different directions. She kept asking if he could see anything even a glow. Matthew shook his head. The yeti huffed garbling something again.

"They're very badly burned. They'll heal and you'll regain your sight, but it will take some time." North explained. Matthew nodded. He wasn't completely sure if he'd actually get his sight back. He'd never been injured before like this. Only Death would know, but he was in no condition to go anywhere. "We're going to bandage them for now. Just too keep any dust or bacteria out."

"Okay." The Reaper nodded. The yeti gently wrapped his eyes in soft bandages. He heard footsteps leave. He guessed it was two pairs unless the yeti walked on all fours. The Canadian shifted slightly. His leg was still sore and throbbing.

"How do you feel, Birdie?" Jack asked.

"Meh." Matthew shrugged. He felt terrible, but he didn't want the winter spirit to worry. He didn't want him to know how nervous he was. He hated not knowing his surroundings or a way to escape.

"Any pain?" The Guardian asked.

"Yeah, it's not too bad anymore." The Reaper shrugged. He could hear footsteps coming back. He heard the door open and close.

"Here." Matthew recognized it as North's voice. Jack moved slightly and put something in his hands. "You've got to be thirsty and hungry."

The Canadian nodded feeling the object in his hands. He assumed from the shape it was a mango, pear, apple or some kind of fruit. Jack pressed a kiss to his jaw and urged him to eat. He nodded and took a bite. It was an apple, a very sour one. He didn't really mind that much. After, the Guardian of fun handed him a glass of water. He drank it quickly and was given another. Jack asked if he wanted more and the Canadian said he was okay. He really just wanted to sleep again. 

"I'll bring you two a blanket." North said and the pair nodded. "Matthew, don't get up without Jack's help. It won't be good for your foot to move at all, really."

The Reaper nodded and sighed. He heard North's footsteps leave. The winter spirit hummed brushing some hair away from his face. Matthew leaned into his touch and caught his hand with his. Jack gently rubbed circles with his thumb on to the back of his hand.

"I'm sorry." The Guardian apologized. 

"Why?" The Canadian asked confused. He heard Jack sigh and wished he could see his face.

"I should have looked for you. I didn't even think about looking." The winter spirit admitted. "Probably lucky the raven came when it did."

"You didn't know, Jackie." Matthew said shifting. He reached up finding his face. He leaned in and kissed him. He almost missed his lips. "It's okay."

"I still should have at least looked for you. You might have gotten out of there quicker. Your wound could have been taken care of and it might not have got infected." Jack sighed shaking his head.

"It's not you're fault that I wasn't paying attention and stepped in a bear trap." The Reaper said reassuringly. He hummed snuggling into his chest with a yawn. The Guardian sighed and wrapped his arms around his waist. Matthew relaxed his wings to his sides.

"I love you." Jack said pressing a kiss into his hair. The Canadian smiled sleepily.

"I love you too." Matthew hummed stretching up and kissing him. He was hoping to find his lips, but he ended up kissing his chin. He laughed lightly at himself as Jack kissed him properly. The Reaper heard footsteps come back and a blanket was draped over them. He yawned tiredly already half asleep. 

"There will be a doctor in to check him every few hours." North said. Both of them nodded. "Let us know if you two need anything or if you feel worse, Matthew."

"Okay." Matthew said with a yawn. He was very grateful for the care. "Thank you, North."

"It is no problem." North said. "Don't hesitate to ask for anything. We want to help you."

The Canadian nodded slowly as he started to fall asleep. He smiled tiredly as Jack pressed kisses into his hair.


	6. Chapter Six

Chapter Six

Jack sighed watching Matthew sleep peacefully on his chest. His breaths were slow and even. His wings would twitch every now or then. The doctor had been in a few times already. She didn't look happy with the way the wound was healing. All her focus was on the leg wound and infection. His eyes were starting to heal the burns, but he still wouldn't regain his sight for a while after. They didn't know that reapers healed much slower than spirits. North had come into speak with him after a full day.

"His wounds are not healing well." The older Guardian explained quietly. He didn't want to wake the sleeping Canadian. "It could be from malnutrition, but we don't need food to survive so that shouldn't be the problem. We're not sure why he's not healing."

Jack bit his lip. He knew Matthew didn't like people knowing about his immortality, it was dangerous for people to know. The winter spirit was nervous that if he didn't say something the Canadian wouldn't heal and only get worse. He understood that he could need medicine to get rid of the infection, something a spirit wouldn't. He trusted North, and needed to speak up before it was too late.

"That could be a bit of the problem." The youngest Guardian said. He looked down at Matthew and sighed. "Reapers aren't exactly spirits. They're not fully immortal." Jack bit his lip watching North's expression. "He can die from sickness or wounds. They don't heal as quickly as spirits either."

"I did not know that." The Russian said scratching the back of his neck.

"Almost no one does." The winter spirit shook his head. Matthew stirred slightly from his movement. He huffed and quickly fell back asleep. "Don't tell anyone, not even the other Guardians."

"We'll keep this between us." North agreed and Jack sighed. "So, if the infection keeps moving, it could kill him?"

"Yeah." The Guardian of fun said looking nervously down at the sleeping Reaper.

"We need to start antibiotics right away." The Russian said and Jack nodded. He went to find the yeti doctor again.

They came back and North explained that they were going to start an IV. The winter spirit nodded knowing the doctor knew what would be best. Matthew didn't wake when the yeti found his hand. He didn't even stir when the IV was put in.

"I should take him to Death." Jack said. "He might be able to help."

"Where does he live? I can send a yeti to get him." North offered. The winter spirit shook his head.

"Death can't leave his house." The Guardian of fun said. "We have to go to him."

"He's not in good condition to be moved right now." The Russian said shaking his head. "Give the antibiotics a couple days."

"Okay." Jack agreed. North put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed reassuringly.

"We'll do everything we can to make him better. Don't worry, Jack." The older Guardian smiled gently. The winter spirit smiled back nervously. He trusted North and knew he would do just that.

\-----❄️"To the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure."❄️-----

Over the next few days, Matthew was in and out of sleep. He couldn't stay awake longer then ten minutes. He normally woke up needing to go help a soul. He would try to move and go instinctively, but he couldn't. Jack would hold him tightly and reassure the Reaper he was there. He had to hear his voice to feel safe. It scared Matthew to wake up to nothing and not know where he was. The winter spirit calmed him easily.

They tried to get food into him, but he refused. The Canadian said he wasn't hungry. The doctor instead gave him the nutrition and vitamins he needed through the IV. He did try to take the IV out once. The winter spirit quickly stopped him and explained what it was. The Reaper seemed confused and didn't fully understand, but trusted him.

Matthew still felt sick and very sluggish. He was still running a high fever. Jack tried to keep his body temperature down with his own. Sometimes the Reaper would complain about being hot, but other times he'd be freezing and shivering. The winter spirit would try to give him a bit of space to feel warmer, but the Canadian wouldn't let him. Even when he was asleep, he'd be holding onto his boyfriend tightly.

The infection hadn't gone away. It was still moving, but a bit slower. They'd up the antibiotic dose to hopefully fight it off. They had briefly talked about amputation if the infection didn't stop. The Guardian didn't like talking about that. 

Jack never moved from Matthew's side. He absolutely refused to. He was very antsy and nervous. He was worried about the infection. The winter spirit thought he could easily help him through a broken leg or being blind, but there was nothing he could do to help the infection. North knew the younger Guardian was nervous.

"Jack?" Matthew asked quietly immediately getting his attention. The winter spirit smiled gently and squeezed his hand.

"Right here, Birdie." Jack sighed pressing a kiss into his hair. The Reaper moved his head slightly reacting to the touch. "Are you hungry?"

"No." The Canadian grumbled through a yawn. The Guardian leaned down kissing him properly. A sleepy smile spread across Matthew's face. He hadn't seen that smile for a while. The smile fell and Matthew sighed. "I miss seeing you."

"You'll see again." Jack said reassuringly. They didn't really know if he'd actually get his sight back, but the winter spirit always stayed optimistic for him. He hugged him tightly. "How do you feel?"

"Not the best." The Reaper grumbled. He lowered his head resting it back on the Guardian's shoulder. He seemed like he was about to fall asleep again. "Where are we?"

"Still at the pole." Jack said pressing kisses to his forehead.

"Still?" Matthew asked confused. The winter spirit nodded. The Canadian didn't really understand why North would help him. He was very grateful though. "I think I'm going to fall asleep on you again."

"That's alright, Birdie." Jack hummed. "You need it."

The Reaper smiled weakly. He hummed and snuggled back into the Guardian's chest with a content sigh. The winter spirit smiled gently and played with his hair as he fell back asleep. After another hour, North and the doctor were back to check his leg. The yeti shook her head garbling worriedly. The Russian's eyebrows furrowed.

"It's still moving." North shook his head translating for him.

"I need to take him to Death." Jack said. The older Guardian's eyebrows furrowed. "He could do something to help."

"It's risky, but if you think he can help him it would be worth it." North said and the winter spirit nodded quickly. "Okay, she'll take the IV out for now and you can take him. I'd like you to bring him back afterwards."

"Why?" Jack asked confused.

"Matthew might not want to be a Guardian, but we should still treat him like one." North said with a small smile. "I'd like to make sure he heals and has a safe place to adjust to being blind."

"Thank you, North." Jack said with a bright smile. 

"It is no problem, Jack." The older Guardian hummed. The yeti doctor came over to beside their bed. She took Matthew's hand and carefully took the IV out. "I can give you snow globe. Cut down on time."

"The forest around Death's house is protected. It's literally a dead zone." Jack explained shaking his head. "The only way to get in is walk or fly."

"Oh, alright." North said running a hand through his beard.

The winter spirit sighed as he carefully stood up. Matthew's fingers were still tangled in his sweater. He leaned down and gently picked him up. He carried him bridal style through the pole. North lead him to the door since he'd never actually used it before. 

"Have a safe flight." The older Guardian said. Jack nodded and called the wind.


	7. Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

Matthew woke up feeling wind on his face. He hummed happily at the feeling, but then wondered where he was. He shifted slightly and a kiss was pressed into his hair.

"We're going to see Death." The Guardian said. He realized he was in his arms. The Canadian nodded slowly relaxing.

"Oh, okay." Matthew muttered.

"I love you, Birdie." Jack said kissing him. The Reaper smiled happily into it. He reached up wrapping his arms around his neck. "You'll be okay, I promise."

"I know, I trust you." The Canadian sighed. He wasn't very sure, but he'd fight to stay alive and be with the winter spirit. He still felt sick and terrible. "I love you too, Jackie."

Jack flew for another while before he felt them descending. He was exhausted, but fought to stay awake. They finally landed and the winter spirit walked a few steps before knocking at a door. Matthew immediately assumed it was Death's. He heard a click and the door squeaked open.

"Matthew! Thank god!" The Reaper recognized it as Death's voice. He smiled weakly. "I wasn't sure if the raven found you, it never returned."

"Yeah, Jack found me." Matthew said quietly. He didn't have the energy to speak much louder. He heard footsteps and the Guardian carried him following the steps. It sounded like Death was limping. He felt all the Reaper's physical pain and negative emotions, but not to the same extent he did. 

"I'm going to set you on the counter." Jack said and the Canadian nodded. He set him down and hopped up next to him. Matthew had to lean into his side to keep upright. 

"Let me check your leg. I know it's got to be bad." Death said. The Reaper nodded and he heard fabric rustling. He guessed he was crouching down. The man carefully removed the bandages. He hissed in pain as soon as Death moved his leg slightly. He quickly apologized and was very careful to touch him again. "That infection is bad. I can take it out, but nothing past that."

"Really? That's awesome!" Jack said excitedly. Matthew could feel him bouncing eagerly. "That's what we're most worried about right now."

"Yes, it will be painless. You won't feel a thing." The man said putting a hand on the Canadian's shoulder. He gave it a reassuring squeeze. "Okay?"

"Yeah." The Reaper nodded. Jack put an arm around his waist and he heard a bit more rustling. He didn't feel anything at all.

"All done. The worst is gone and the rest will be within the next day." Death said. Matthew nodded. He couldn't wait for the fever and sickness to be gone. "Now, let's look at your eyes."

The Reaper nodded again. He hoped when the man took the bandages off, he'd be able to see. He half expected it to be a dream and he'd wake up. He felt Death's hands brush lightly against his head as he started to undo the bandages. He felt them fall down his nose and he sighed. He was met with nothing, he still couldn't see. The man grumbled as he carefully cupped his jaw. He tilted his head left and right and asked him to look in different directions. 

"It's not good." Death admitted. Matthew sighed. "They'll heal, but it could take a decade or two for your sight to come back fully."

"It will come back?" The Reaper asked nervously.

"Yes. It will just take time. They've got to heal and scar before they'll regenerate." Death said reassuringly. He gently rewrapped the bandages. "Your other senses will start to compensate for your sight very quickly. I'd say a few days now."

Matthew nodded nervously. He'd have to learn to live with it for now. He understood how much people relied on their sight and he was no different. He bit his lip and looked down. A kiss was pressed to his cheek and Jack rested his head against his. The Reaper leaned into his touch happy for the anchor. He squeezed his middle reassuringly.

"Where will you two be staying in the meantime?" Death asked. 

"North wants us to go back to the pole." The winter spirit said. The Canadian was a bit surprised. He didn't particularly want to go back to the pole. He'd rather just be alone or just have Jack with him.

"It would be good to stay there for a while." The man replied. He felt Jack nod against his head. Matthew frowned and his eyebrows furrowed. "You might not like it, but it's a good idea. It would keep you safe until you're adjusted."

The Reaper grumbled annoyed. He was grateful for what North had done for him and he had nothing against the man. He felt like he owed the man and he didn't want to overstay his welcome. He didn't want to be a burden on a person he didn't know. He knew he was going to need a lot of help to adjust.

"There are close to five thousand souls missing." Death started.

"I know, I'll get them back as soon as possible." Matthew said quietly. 

"No, you will wait until you're fully healed and adjusted." The man said sternly. The Canadian nodded slowly. "Boss's orders. You and your health are more important."

"Okay." The Reaper said with a small smile. He was fighting to stay awake. He was still exhausted.

"You better take good care of my reaper, Frost." Death warned. It was light hearted, he knew he would.

"I will, I promise." Jack hummed. He slipped off the counter and Matthew whined quietly. 

The Guardian carefully picked him up again. The Canadian sighed and rested his head against his chest. He carried him along to the door. He heard a click and guessed Death opened the door for them.

"Take your time recovering." The man said. "As long as you're still processing the souls that get to you the others can wait."

"Okay." Matthew murmured. He was half asleep.

"If you need anything don't hesitate to come back." Death said and they both nodded. Jack turned and started to walk away. He took a few steps before he called the wind.

The Reaper sighed as he was carried. He was a bit nervous. He knew he was going to need a lot of help. He knew he'd probably get frustrated and be hard to deal with. He wondered how he looked, he knew it probably wasn't pretty. Matthew loved Jack and hoped he'd stick with him through this. He didn't doubt that he loved him back, but he didn't want to make the Guardian feel obligated to take care of him.

"How are you feeling, Birdie?" The winter spirit asked getting his attention.

"Bit better." The Canadian said through a yawn. Jack leaned down and kissed him gently. He smiled sleepily into it. They broke apart and he rested his head on his chest. The Guardian pressed more kisses onto his cheeks and forehead. Matthew quickly fell asleep in his boyfriend's arms.

\-----❄️"When one door closes another door opens, but we so often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us."❄️-----

"So?" North asked quickly as soon as Jack landed. He smiled excitedly.

"Death was able to take the infection out!" The younger Guardian said with a bright smile. "He said it will be fully gone by tomorrow!"

"That's wonderful." The Russian said with a gentle smile. They walked back up to the medical wing. Jack carefully set Matthew back on the huge bed. He crawled in next to him and pulled him close. "We'll leave you two until morning."

AN: Death is able to take the infection out since it kills tissue.


	8. Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

A few days later...

Matthew groaned finally waking up. He felt like he'd been asleep for weeks. He  
Was stiff and groggy. He wasn't sure where he was, but his pillow was cold, breathing and smelled like fresh snow. He knew it was Jack. He could hear his quiet snores. 

The Canadian carefully listened to the sounds around him. He could hear music and banging outside. There was some light footsteps and bells jingling. He guessed they were still at the pole.

The Reaper shifted slightly. His foot felt heavy and stiff. He knew it was probably in a cast, but he wanted to feel it. He sat up slowly with a sigh. He felt a bit dizzy and off kilter, but otherwise okay. The bandages were off his eyes, but he still couldn't see. He reached down and felt his foot. It was in a rough textured, thick cast. It felt like there was a zipper or something along the side. He guessed it was to open and check the wounds. The Canadian had had many broken bones before, but he never really had a cast before. He'd normally set the bone and forget about it until he accidentally hit it on something.

Matthew jumped in surprise as a kiss was placed on to his cheek. He quickly realized it was just Jack as his arms snaked around his waist. He didn't feel or hear him moved to sit up.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you, Birdie." The winter spirit said. His voice was thick with sleep. "How do you feel?"

"Okay." The Reaper said leaning into his side. He heard Jack sigh and relax slightly.

"Any pain?" The Guardian asked and Matthew shook his head. The pair sat quietly for a while until Jack spoke. "Want to go for a walk?"

"Can I with this?" The Canadian asked gesturing to his foot.

"Yeah! It's a special walking cast that North made." Jack bounced excitedly. Matthew gave a smile in his direction.

"Okay." The Reaper hummed. He felt the bed shift as the Guardian stood up. He didn't particularly like when Jack wasn't touching him. He felt like he was lost in space without a tether. He knew he'd have to get used to it and do stuff without him.

The Guardian reached down and took his hands. He gently helped him up and had Matthew put an arm around his shoulders. The Canadian was a bit hesitant to put weight on his foot. He very slowly did and felt no pain. He sighed in relief and pulled his hood up. He didn't feel comfortable having it down.

"Ready?" Jack asked putting an arm around his waist. 

The Reaper nodded and they slowly took the first few steps towards the door. He wasn't used to the weight of the cast or that it made him feel like he had a heeled shoe on one foot. He was a bit nervous to go outside the room. He didn't want to get in the way or walk into anyone. He trusted that Jack wouldn't let him. He folded his wings tightly behind his back. The winter spirit was the only thing that was keeping his fear at bay.

Jack lead him along through the pole. They mostly stuck to the quieter hallways. He would warn him when there was a lip or tiny dip in the floor. Matthew was quiet and listening to everything. He was trying to figure out where the yetis and elves were. They eventually went out in to the work shop area. The Canadian was surprised at how busy it sounded.

"What day is it?" The Reaper asked.

"It's like march third." The winter spirit said. "They really start early."

"No kidding, eh?" Matthew said with a small smile. "It's loud."

"Too loud?" Jack asked worriedly. 

"No." The Canadian shrugged. The pair stayed around the workshop for a while until they kept walking. Matthew grumbled quietly as he refolded his wings. His feathers were bothering him.

"Are you okay?" The Guardian asked seeing him shift awkwardly and move his wings again.

"Yeah, I just need to preen." Matthew said. 

Jack didn't say a thing, but started to lead him somewhere else. He had no idea where they were in the pole or where they were going. He trusted the winter spirit, but wished he would have said something. 

They came to a staircase. Matthew bit his lip when Jack told him it was coming. He offered to carry him up, but the Canadian shook his head. He knew he needed to learn. He'd rather do it when his boyfriend was there to catch him if he tripped.

It was slow going to get up the stairs. The Guardian stayed right by his side with his arm around his waist. He stayed quiet letting his boyfriend navigate the stairs mostly independently. The Reaper used his good foot to feel for the step before he brought his injured foot up. It wasn't as hard as he thought it was going to be. He was slightly relieved and a bit more confident. Once they got to the top, the pair kept walking for a bit.

"Here, Birdie." Jack hummed stopping them. Matthew gave him a confused expression. He didn't know what he was talking about. "Oh! Sorry, I forgot. It's going to take some getting used to."

"It's okay." The Reaper said with a reassuring smile. "Where are we?"

"One of the upper levels of the pole. It's a lot quieter up here." The winter spirit explained. "There’s a window with a bench built into it. We can sit here and you can preen?"

"Okay." Matthew hummed. Jack lead him over and he felt for the seat. He found a soft padded cushion and turned to sit. He had a mini heart attack thinking he'd missed the bench, but he was fine. He let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding.

"Do you need some help preening?" The Guardian asked sitting next to him. 

"No, I'm alright." The Reaper said. 

Matthew leaned back against the cool glass and brought one wing in front of him. He felt his way along the rows of feathers cleaning and realigning them. He knew he was missing spots and that he was going over others multiple times. He was too stubborn to ask for help. Jack had started talking to fill the quiet. He really didn't mind and loved listening to the stories. He finished one wing and moved onto the other. He yawned and stretched when he was done.

"Tired, Birdie?" The winter spirit asked.

The Canadian hummed and nodded. He shifted and rested his back against the window frame. He brought both of his feet up onto the bench and opened his arms for Jack. He heard him sigh and felt him shift on the bench. He carefully crawled into Matthew's lap. He pressed kisses into his collarbone and neck before kissing him properly. He hummed happily into it wrapping them in his wings. 

"Je t'aime." The Reaper said as they broke apart. He buried his face in the crook of Jack's neck as his arms snaked around his waist.

"I love you too, Mattie." The Guardian said nuzzling into his hair. 

Matthew smiled and kissed his neck. Jack fell asleep quickly and he stayed awake listening to him breathe. He loved the feeling of his arms around him and his hair tickling his cheek. He breathed in his scent as he relaxed. The winter spirit always smelled like fresh snow and pine needles. He sighed and slowly fell asleep too.


	9. Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

Jack woke up a few hours later. He was still wrapped in the Reaper's wings. He knew the position Matthew was in was probably hurting his back. He carefully shifted out of the Canadian's lap. He woke up for a moment and grumbled something in French before falling back asleep. The Guardian smiled lovingly down at him, he looked adorable. He almost didn't want to move him, but he would probably thank him in the morning.

The winter spirit leaned down and carefully picked him up. He cradled him as he walked along through the pole. He was taking him to the room North gave him. The bed was a lot more comfortable and Matthew didn't need to stay in the intermarry with the infection gone.

"Jack?" The Reaper slurred sleepily as the Guardian set him on the bed. 

"Down here." Jack said untying his shoe and taking it off for him. 

"Merci." Matthew said through a yawn. The winter spirit smiled brightly as he settled down next to him. He realized the Canadian couldn't see it.

"No problem." The Guardian hummed kissing his cheek. 

The Reaper reached up and found his neck. His fingers gently traced his jaw and over his cheeks. Jack smiled at the feeling of his warm hands, it felt nice. Matthew hummed quietly stretching up to kiss him. He shifted after they broke apart and curled up on the Guardian's chest. He accidentally kicked Jack with his cast, but didn't realize it. The winter spirit didn't say anything, it didn't hurt that much.

Jack smiled happily as he heard Matthew's quiet snores. He sighed contently wrapping his arms around the Canadian's waist. He closed his eyes and fell asleep as well.

\-----❄️"Unbeing dead isn't being alive."❄️-----

The next morning, Matthew woke up early. He assumed it was morning since he could feel warm sun on his skin. He just stayed where he was listening peacefully to the sounds around him. It was fairly quiet, but he could hear the yetis working in the distance. He wasn't sure where they were in the pole. It was quieter than the medical wing, but louder than the window bench area. He thought that he was noticing more things by sound, but he wasn't sure.

"Morning, Birdie." Jack said through  
A yawn. His cold hands slipped under his hoodie making him shiver. 

The Reaper smiled and stretched up looking for his lips. He found his neck and kissed his way up it until he found his lips. The Guardian smiled happily into the kiss as he lightly bit his lip asking for entrance. He immediately let him in to explore his mouth. His hands roamed along his sides as they moved. They only broke apart for breath, but Matthew really wanted more. Jack's touch felt amazing, almost intoxicating.

"You're so cute." The winter spirit hummed kissing him again. He carefully swapped their positions and the Canadian laughed lightly. "Absolutely adorable."

"How can I be cute with burned eyes?" The Reaper asked biting his lip. 

"Very cute." Jack sighed kissing his nose. "It's not that bad."

"I don't believe that." Matthew grumbled.

"Really, it's not bad." The Guardian said trying to convince him. The Canadian sighed, he definitely didn't believe him.

"Fine, describe it to me." The Reaper said. He wanted to know what he looked like.

"Well, the skin around them is red and healing. The whites are partly red, irises are still purple, but a bit cloudy. Same with the pupils." Jack said. He leaned down and kissed his forehead. "They're healing well."

"That doesn't sound cute." Matthew grumbled. The Guardian sighed.

"It's not that bad, Birdie." He said reassuringly. "I love you for you, not just your looks if that's what you're worrying about."

"I know, I just..." The Reaper furrowed his eyebrows. He shifted nervously under Jack. "I know how much help I'm going to need and how easily I get frustrated. I know I'm not easy to deal with."

"I love you and I'm not going anywhere." The winter spirit said sternly. Matthew gave him a small smile. He sighed as Jack nuzzled into his chest. His hands snuck up and played with his hair. The Canadian relaxed slightly under his touch. They laid quietly together before his stomach rumbled. "Hungry, Mattie?"

"Yeah." The Reaper hummed.

Jack sat back and he sat up. He swung his feet over the edge of the bed and remembered he didn't have his shoe. The winter spirit seemed to realize that too and got up to grab it. He handed it too him. Matthew brought his good foot up and easily slipped it on. He found the laces and tried to tie it. His first time didn't work and Jack offered to help him. The Reaper shook his head and tried again. It took him a few tries, but he finally tied it right.

The Guardian took his hand and they started to walk. He tucked his wings tightly behind him. He tried to map out where they were going in his head. He wasn't exactly sure if he had it right and forgot it almost instantly. He wanted to learn how to navigate on his own, but he was a bit nervous. Jack lead him into a kitchen and guided him to one of the island chairs. Matthew hopped up on his own, but knew the winter spirit was hovering close by just encase.

"What do you want to eat?" Jack asked.

"Whatever, it doesn't really matter." The Canadian shrugged. "Surprise me."

"Okay!" The winter spirit said excitedly.

Matthew knew he wouldn't actually cook anything, he didn't like heat that much. He was expecting a bunch of cookies and candy knowing his boyfriend. He heard some rustling, cupboards opening and closing before Jack came over. He heard a few packages being set down in front of him. He could immediately smell artificial strawberry and chocolate. He could also smell maple and smiled.

"I brought ice cream, some fruit and maple syrup." Jack said sitting up next to him. 

The Reaper could have guessed by scent. He guessed his other senses were starting to compensate for his eyes, or he was just noticing things more. He reached out and found a bowl. He felt wet squares inside. He guessed it was melon. He took a piece and ate it, it was honeydew. The Canadian hummed taking another piece expecting the same, but it was cantaloupe. He didn't mind, he loved fruit. He remembered Jack said he brought maple syrup and smiled. He carefully tapped around looking for it. His fingers brushed against cool smooth glass and he carefully picked it up.

"Syrup?" Matthew asked raising an eyebrow showing the Guardian the bottle.

"Yeah." Jack said. 

The Canadian struggled for a moment to get the lid and seal off. Once he did, he poured some syrup into the melon. The winter spirit laughed quietly. Matthew hummed happily eating his fruit.

"Want some?" The Guardian asked. The Reaper raised an eyebrow. "Oh! Neapolitan ice cream."

"Nah, I'm okay." Matthew said munching on more fruit. Jack leaned over and kissed his cheek.

"What do you want to do today?" Jack asked.

"I'd normally read, but I can't really do that." The Reaper sighed.

"I can read to you?" The winter spirit suggested.

"You don't have to." Matthew shrugged.

"No, but I want to." Jack said leaning over and kissing his cheek. "I'm sure we can find something good in North's library."

"Okay." The Reaper smiled.


	10. Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

A few days later...

"I'll be okay, Jack." The Reaper said with a reassuring smile. He heard the winter spirit sigh. Jack was worried to leave him alone, he needed to go make a storm. It was morning and they were cuddled in bed. "I need to learn alone anyways."

"I know, I'm just worrying too much." The Guardian grumbled. Matthew reached out finding his boyfriend. He pulled him into a hug. "You're the one going through this and your taking it better than me."

"There's not much I can do about it. I have to take it well. What other option do I have? I guess I could mope about it or shut down, but that's not fair to you or any of the souls I need to help. Of course I'm nervous about this, but if I'm going to be like this for years, I need to get used to it." The Canadian shrugged. He pressed a kiss to Jack's cheek. "I'll be okay."

"I love you." The Guardian said burying his face in the crook of Matthew's neck.

"I love you too, Jackie." The Reaper hummed. "I'm stubborn, I know I am. It comes in handy sometimes." 

"Yeah." Jack laughed lightly. He sighed and kissed him. "Just be careful."

"I know, I will be." Matthew hummed.

The winter spirit kissed his cheek and slipped out of the bed. He heard him grab his staff and go towards the door. He opened it and paused. The Canadian thought he was going to say something, but he just sighed. Jack shut the door part way and he could hear his steps go.

Matthew sighed turning over on his back. He stretched out his wings with a groan. He wanted to get up and go for a walk. He went out with Jack in to the pole every day and felt pretty confident with him at his side. He wanted to be without him too, but he was nervous. He knew the nerves wouldn't go away until he got up and went around on his own.

The Reaper sat up and used his good foot to find his shoe. He bent over and picked it up. He sat back on the bed and put it on. It took him a few tries to get it tied properly. Day to day tasks were a bit hard at first, but it had been almost a week and he was starting to get used to them.

The Canadian stood up and went in the direction of the door. He had one hand out to make sure he didn't walk into a wall. Every step was slow and calculated. He didn't think there would be anything on the floor, but he still wanted to make sure. His fingers brushed against trim and he followed it to the door. He opened it and slowly stepped outside. He knew to his right was the workshop and to his left was more rooms and storage. He didn't want to get in anyone's way so he went left. He walked slowly with his fingers brushing one wall. All his senses were on overdrive figuring out where he was at all times.

Matthew sighed as another death flashed across his mind. It was someone that needed his help. He felt terrible that he couldn't go help them. He'd become number to the deaths than he used to be, but the ones that demanded to be seen still got to him. It was hard to see nothing, but the deaths that were in his head. He tried not to focus too much on them. There wasn't anything he could do. He had been focusing on the harder cases he set aside and the souls that got to him. He had a bit of a backlog from when he was sick.

The Reaper paused as he walked. His eyebrows furrowed. He could feel a shadow. He'd never really felt a shadow before. He used to see them, but he couldn't now. He felt for the shadows again. He was able to visualize the shape of the shadow and figure out there was a stairwell in front of him before his foot hit it. 

The Canadian tried to keep focused on the shadow, but his head was starting to ache. He was tired, he assumed it was from trying to see the shadows. He was surprised by his new sense. He wanted to use it more. He hoped that if he used it more his stamina for it would get better. He wondered if he'd always had it, but he was just finding it now.

Matthew groaned and sighed. He turned to walk back towards their room. He hadn't made any turns so he mostly knew where he was going. He wondered if he was able to shadow jump still. He wanted to try. He felt for the shadows again. He felt one to his left and stepped towards it. He mended it and one in their room together. He stepped in and through to the other side. He immediately panicked thinking he wasn't in the right room, but he could smell Jack's scent.

The Canadian took a few steps forward finding their bed. He sighed in relief turning to sit. He took his shoe off and laid back. He decided to rest for a while before going out again. He felt a little less nervous about being alone after his shirt adventure.

The Reaper was a bit hungry and wanted food. He rested until the headache went away. He sat up and rolled on to his feet. He found the same shadow and mended it together with one in the kitchen. He was able to shadow jump to places he'd already been in the pole. In the familiar places he was able to visualize and guess where the shadows were. 

Matthew jumped in surprise as someone else yelled in shock. It sounded like a very shrill scream and he was surprised to hear North speak after.

"Matthew, you scared me." The Russian said. He sounded out of breath. "How did you get here?"

"Sorry." The Reaper said with a sheepish smile. He felt bad for scaring the Guardian. "I jumped through a shadow."

"Oh, well I guess you're looking for something to eat?" North asked and the Canadian nodded. "I'm just making some solyanka soup. Would you like some?"

"Sure." Matthew hummed. He wasn't sure what that was, but it smelt pretty good. He stood awkwardly for a moment wanting to offer help. He didn't want to get in his way.

"Do you need help to get to the counter?" The Russian asked.

"No, I'm okay thank you." The Reaper said with a shy smile. 

Matthew wasn't exactly sure where he was in the kitchen, but he felt for shadows. He found one that resembled a chair and walked towards it. He kept one hand out as he carefully moved. He didn't want to accidentally knock into anything. His fingers brushed up against the chair. He sighed and felt for where the seat was. He lifted himself up and sat down. He almost missed, but realigned and was okay.

"Here." North hummed. He heard a dish being set down in front of him. He heard the Guardian walk around and sit next to him at the island. "Be careful, it's hot."

"Thank you." The Reaper said. He reached out and found the dish, it was a bowl. He could feel the heat coming from it. He bumped into something next to it. His fingers curled around it and he picked it up. He felt the shape and figured out it was a spoon. 

Matthew's movements were slow as he ate. He didn't want to spill any of the soup. The soup tasted as good as it smelt. North made a bit of small talk with him. The Canadian was a bit awkward, he didn't really socialize with people. They finished eating and he offered to help clean up. He couldn't get into too much trouble just washing dishes. 

The Russian patted his back and told him not to worry about it. He sighed with a smile and nodded. Matthew found his way out of the kitchen by sound. He decided to keep exploring. He felt a bit more confident now that he'd been out by himself, but he still wanted to keep going and practice.


	11. Chapter Eleven

Chapter Eleven

Over the next few days, Matthew had been exploring the pole. He'd been going alone for the most part. When Jack was at the pole, he was by his side constantly. He definitely didn't mind the company. The Guardian loved just being near him even if they weren't doing anything. He also liked reading to him.

Matthew's wounds had been healing. The yeti Doctor checked them every other day. The cuts on his leg had scabbed and were starting to heal. The bone had started to mend too. She said they could take the cast off in a month or two. The Doctor told him his eyes were healing. She said the burns around them were pealing and new skin was showing. The eyes themselves hadn't changed much. He was able to move them and everything just fine, but he couldn't see.

The Reaper liked wandering around the pole. He didn't really have much else to do if Jack wasn't around. He still had his phone, but he couldn't really use it. He did manage to poke it enough for music to play. He did sit and listen for a while with earbuds, but he didn't like how it cut him off from the world. He didn't know if someone was sneaking up on him. He would listen without them, but he didn't want to disrupt anyone. 

Matthew knew his hearing had become better as well as his sense of smell. He'd been noticing a lot more things he hadn't before. He had been feeling the shadows more often. It gave him a bit of a better idea of his surroundings. He couldn't see, but he was able to visualize and guess from the shadows. He'd interpreted them wrong a few times and almost walked into a wall, but he still kept a hand out to catch himself. It still made him tired quickly and he got headaches if he tried to use it for long. He'd only take small snap shots of he needed to.

When he wasn't spending his time exploring or with Jack, he'd been trying to learn Braille. It had been something he always wanted to learn, but never got around to. It was hard, but he didn't expect to learn over night. North had given him a book to help him learn. It had raised letters along with the Braille versions. It had been keeping him busy.

Matthew always tried to keep his mind busy with something. The only time he was able to see was when he saw a death or when he was looking over the harder cases. He hadn't been the best mentally the last few days. He'd been really down. Jack had immediately noticed and swept him off his feet and kissed him. He carried him to their window bench and held him close. 

The Canadian curled up with him and talked. He felt better once he got his thoughts out. He hated not being able to see. No matter how confident he acted he was unsure of himself. He wanted to go and help the souls that needed him, but he couldn't. He was nervous to go outside already, he didn't feel ready. The Guardian listened and reassured him that he'd get better. He knew he would, but he was impatient.

Matthew hummed to himself as he walked. He was walking towards the workshop area. He wanted to find a spot to sit and listen to the yetis’ work. He paused against the wall once he got there. He didn't want to be in any of the yetis way. He felt for shadows and noticed the rafters. He wanted to go up there, but he hadn't flown since before. He was nervous to fly, but knew he'd have to get used to it. It would be better to learn in a contained space instead of an open one. He couldn't get lost in the workshop.

The Reaper sighed and shrugged. He knew where the shadow was so he decided to try it. He spread his wings and flew for the rafter. He kept feeling for the shadow as he moved. He didn't particularly like not having anything to touch or hold. He felt like he was lost in space, but he managed to find the beam. His landing wasn't very graceful and he almost fell over the side. The Canadian carefully shifted and settled on the rafter. He pressed his back against the cross bar and let his bad foot hang over the edge. He brought his good leg up to his chest and rested his chin on it. He sighed and wrapped his wings around himself.

Matthew sighed closing his eyes. He started to look through the harder cases again. There were quite a few he'd been putting off. They were complicated and he wanted to make a good judgment. Sometimes he missed when he drank. It was easier for him to disassociate and just make a snap decision then forget about it. Now a lot of his decisions weighed on him wondering if he did the right thing. He'd become slightly more merciful over the last few years. Jack had mellowed him out, he knew he had.

"I'm telling you, mate!" An Australian accented voice caught his attention. The Reaper grumbled as he recognized it as Bunny's. That Guardian really rubbed him the wrong way. "It's not a good idea!"

"So you've said." North's voice replied. They weren't being too loud, but Matthew could easily hear them. "I do not understand why you're making such a big deal about this."

"I don't understand why you're helping him!" Bunny grumbled. "What about all the stories we heard? Those spirits are terrified of him."

"Matthew has not done anything to prove those stories true." The Guardian of wonder argued. "He has been nothing, but nice and respectful."

"But what if he turns? I don't want you or Jack or any one else getting hurt. He's dangerous. Sure, he can't do much now, but what about once he heals or gets used to it?" Bunny sighed. "We know what he is, we've been told time and time again by numerous spirits that he is dangerous! Why are you defending him?"

"Because Jack is like a son to me. Matthew is no different, I have the means to help him in a bad time and I will." North argued. He heard Bunny grumble something he didn't catch. "I think you're just jealous of him and Jack, old friend."

"Whatever!" The Guardian of hope snapped. He could hear him hop away. 

The Reaper sighed. He knew he was in debt to North. He knew he owed him and wanted to pay him back. He had no idea how to. He was very grateful that the Guardian opened his home to him and let him stay. At first, he didn't want to be there, but now he felt comfortable at the pole and was nervous to go outside alone.

"Birdie!" Matthew smiled hearing Jack's voice. He could hear him looking for him down in the workshop. He felt the wind breeze over him before it got stronger and heard a light thump in front of him. "How did you get up here?"

"I flew." The Canadian said simply with a smile. 

"Well no shit." The winter spirit snorted. "But how did you know?"

"I could feel the shadow." Matthew said. He hadn't mentioned it to Jack yet. "I can feel the shadows and kinda guess where things are."

"Hmmmm." The Guardian hummed. "That's pretty cool."

"Yeah, it's a bit hard to interpret the shadows sometimes, but it helps." The Reaper shrugged. He paused. "Jack? Can you take me back to the forest?"

"The forest you got caught in?" Jack asked confused and Matthew nodded. "Why?"

"I dropped my dagger there. I want to get it back." The Canadian explained.

"Okay." The winter spirit said leaning over and kissing his nose. Matthew laughed lightly and rolled his eyes. "We should tell North before we go."


	12. Chapter Twelve

Chapter Twelve

"We should tell North before we go." Jack said and the Canadian nodded. He shifted letting both feet hang over the edge of the beam. He was a bit hesitant to get down. "Do you want me to carry you down?"

Matthew bit his lip and nodded. He knew he'd have to learn to get down on his own, but he'd let Jack help him this time. The Guardian easily picked him up and the wind carried them to the ground. The winter spirit set him down and they went to find North. He always held his hand or had an arm around his waist as they walked.

"North!" The winter spirit called. The sudden loud sound made the Canadian jump slightly. His boyfriend apologized by leaning over and kissing his temple. Matthew gave him a small smile. 

"Hello, Jack, Matthew." North greeted as they caught up to him. "How are you two?"

"Good." The couple said in unison. He heard the older Guardian laugh quietly.

"Can we borrow a snow globe?" Jack asked.

"Yes, of course, but why?" The Russian asked. Matthew could hear the confusion in his voice.

"I dropped my dagger in the forest. I'd like to get it back." The Reaper explained. He wondered if North would be okay with him carrying a weapon after the conversation he just had with Bunny. "I can leave it with you if you want? I just want to get it back."

"No, it's fine. I trust you Matthew." The Guardian of wonder said. The Canadian gave him a small smile. "I'll give you two globes, one to get there and one to get back."

"Thank you." The pair said in unison. North and Jack laughed as Matthew smiled.

"Follow me." The Russian said. The winter spirit took his hand as they followed North. He focused on his steps as they walked. The pair of Guardians talked as they walked. Matthew only half listened to them. "There you go."

"Thanks, North!" Jack hummed. The Reaper gave him a thankful smile.

"Be careful." The older Guardian warned.

The pair nodded as Jack told the globe where they wanted to go. He took his hand as they stepped through the portal. Matthew immediately felt the change in temperature, it was much hotter and humid. He could feel the different ground underneath his feet. The scent of the forest was a lot earthier than the pole.

"Watch out for bear traps." The Canadian muttered and Jack snorted. 

The winter spirit left his side to go search for his dagger. He didn't go too far from him. Matthew followed his footsteps as he looked. He was a bit nervous to catch his foot on some underbrush, but he didn't. He kept a hand out to make sure he didn't walk into a tree. He felt more confident than he thought he would in a new environment.

The Reaper heard footsteps and his head snapped towards the sound. "Jack?" He asked knowing they weren't his. The Guardian was at his side in an instant. "Somethings here."

"What? Where?" Jack asked putting an arm around him protectively. Matthew pointed in the direction of the sound. "I don't see anything."

"I heard footsteps." The Canadian said biting his lip. He could hear them again moving closer. He shifted closer to Jack. Normally he'd be happy for a fight, but not now. He tried to focus on the step pattern. He guessed it wasn't a human.

"A bear!" The Guardian said. He must have spotted the animal through the trees. Matthew sighed in relief hearing that. He stepped away from Jack towards the footsteps. "Birdie?"

The Reaper turned towards him and gave him a smile. He carefully crouched as the bear came closer. He could hear Jack shift nervously behind him. The bear came closer and sniffed his hair before nudging his cheek. Matthew smiled and pet him.

"Hello." The Reaper hummed as the bear nuzzled against his cheek.

"It's the same one as before." The winter spirit said in surprise stepping towards them. The Canadian nodded.

"He stayed and kept me company." Matthew hummed petting the bear. He heard Jack laugh lightly as the bear nudged him again. He heard the Guardian take a few steps towards them and the bear growled at him. "It's okay, he's a friend."

"I'm not going to hurt you Mr. Bear." Jack said. The Canadian could hear fabric rustle slightly in front of him. He felt the bear shift uneasily and whine. Matthew pet him reassuringly. "See, I'm not so bad." The Guardian hummed as he gently pet the bear.

"He's kind of skittish. He's not fully grown either." The Reaper said.

"He's just a little guy." Jack sighed. "Well, not that little, but anyway. I'll get back to looking for your dagger."

"Thank you." Matthew hummed. 

The Guardian leaned over and kissed his cheek before standing up. He heard him step away. The bear stayed right by him and kept nudging him wanting more attention. Matthew smiled and stood up wanting to follow Jack. The bear followed him. He lightly bit the Canadian's sweater cuff to guide him over to his boyfriend.

"Found it, Birdie!" The winter spirit called. He met Matthew part way on his way over. He carefully handed him his dagger.

"Thank you." The Reaper smiled putting it away. Jack kissed him and the Canadian smiled into it. They broke apart and Matthew sighed. He always wanted more. "I guess we better go back to the pole."

"Yeah." The Guardian sighed. "Bye Mr. Bear."

"Bye little guy." Matthew mumbled petting him. The bear let out a small whine. He didn't really want to leave the bear behind. He had stayed with him and came back again. "I'll come back when I can. I promise."

The Reaper heard Jack tell the globe to go to the pole before he smashed it. The Guardian took his hand and they walked through the portal. Matthew sighed at the cooler air of the pole. The Canadian jumped in surprise when something licked his hand.

"Welcome back." North said. Matthew wasn't sure where he had come from. "Oh, you brought a bear?"

"Sorry! We didn't mean too." The Canadian said quickly as the bear pressed his head against his thigh. "We'll take him back right away."

"He seems to really like you. Is it the same one as before?" The Russian asked and he nodded. "I don't mind having him around as long as he doesn't cause more trouble than an elf."

"That's impossible!" Jack laughed and the older Guardian joined.

"Thank you, North." Matthew smiled gently. The Russian laughed and pat him on the back. The bear kept nudging him wanting more attention.

"What are you going to name him, Mattie?" Jack asked as he snaked an arm around his waist.

"Hmmm... I don't know." The Canadian sighed. "Maybe Kumakuro? Just Kuma for short?"

"Why Kumakuro?" North asked.

"Kumakuro is black bear in Japanese." Matthew explained.

"You know Japanese? How did you know he was a black bear?" The Guardian of wonder asked in confusion.

"I can speak most languages. It's easier to talk with souls in their most recent native language." The Reaper explained. "His ears are pretty tall which is normal for a black bear. Grizzlies have a hump on their shoulders and he doesn't have that."

"You really know your bears." North laughed and Matthew nodded with a smile. Kumakuro pushed his head into his hand. He took a few steps forward so his hand was on his shoulders. The bear was the perfect height for him to rest his hand on. 

"I guess he'll be my seeing eye bear." The Reaper said with a small laugh. Jack snorted and North laughed too.

"He seems to be eager to be with and help you." The winter sighed. He pressed a kiss to Matthew's temple. "I won't be as worried to leave you with Kuma around."

AN: Kumajirou is white bear in Japanese and he's a polar bear. Decided to switch up the name because Kumakuro isn't a polar bear in this.


	13. Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Thirteen

A few weeks later...

"Come on, Birdie." Jack whined pulling on his hand. The Canadian laughed lightly. Him and Kumakuro were laying on their bed together. He was on his back with his arms and wings spread out while the bear had his head on his chest. The winter spirit was standing next to the bed trying to get them up to go to the Guardian meeting with him. "Please?"

"Do I have to?" Matthew groaned.

"No, but I would love if you came with me." Jack said in a pouty voice. He knew his boyfriend was probably giving him puppy dog eyes. Just imagining those eyes made him want to say fine. "Pwease? Just dis wonce?"

"Ugh, fine." The Reaper grumbled. The Guardian cheered happily as he groaned. He sighed and sat up. Kumakuro whined at his movements and he smiled. He gave the bear a scratch behind the ear. Jack handed him his shoe and he put it on. He managed to tie it in one try. He pulled his hood up and sighed. "Alright, let's go."

The winter spirit hummed and kissed his cheek. He took Matthew's hand in his. Kumakuro jumped off the bed with a quiet thump before taking his normal position beside the Canadian. He put his hand on his shoulders smiling at the feeling of his soft fur. The bear never left his side and was always helping him through the pole. He had been a bit nervous to go to new places in the pole alone, but with Kumakuro he didn't mind. Jack had been in and out a lot, it was winter in the northern hemisphere. He never liked leaving the Reaper alone, even before he became blind, but he felt better knowing he had a companion. He was a bit jealous of the bear though. He wanted to have all his boyfriend's affection.

The trio walked into the meeting room. Matthew could already hear Bunny and North arguing over what holiday was better. Jack left his side to go break them up. The Canadian rolled his eyes as he felt for shadows. He found one that resembled a couch and Kumakuro guided him towards it. The bear stopped once they were in front of it. The Reaper turned and sat on the couch while Kumakuro sat on the floor next to him and rested his head on his knees. Matthew smiled gently and pet him. He couldn't help it.

Jack came over and sat next to him after he attempted to settle the other Guardians argument. He leaned into the Reaper's side wanting attention too. He laughed lightly and rested his head on the winter spirit's shoulder. He sighed contently moving one wing to wrap around his boyfriend. The Guardian hummed happily and kissed his temple.

"You're so cute, Birdie." Jack said quietly pressing another kiss to his cheek. "I love you so much."

"Je t'aime aussi." Matthew hummed quietly leaning into his touch.

The Reaper heard Tooth's wings buzz as she flew in. He wondered if Sandy was there, it was hard for him to tell since the Guardian of dreams was mostly silent. After a while they started to talk about Guardian stuff. The Canadian wasn't interested and barely listened until he heard Pitch's name. A quiet growl escaped his lips. He'd never really hated the man before, but he did now.

Kumakuro shifted hearing his growl. He whined and the Reaper sighed and pet him. The bear could always sense if he was sad, frustrated or nervous. He was able to cheer him up or get Jack's attention to make him feel better and talk. Kumakuro had only been with him for a little less than a month, but he couldn't imagine not having him.

"I don't think Pitch could already be gaining power. It's too soon." Tooth's gentle voice said. 

"I think you're just worrying about nothing, North." Bunny grumbled. He could hear him thumping his foot impatiently.

"But I feel it! In my belly." North argued.

"North's right." Matthew said speaking up. The other Guardians fell quiet. He guessed they were looking at him.

"How would you know?" Bunny snapped. 

"Pitch currently has all the lost souls he wants because I can't go help them. He's got probably an army of fearlings by now." The Reaper shrugged. He really didn't like the pooka. He got on his nerves. "So of course he's gaining power."

The focus of the Guardian meeting had completely shifted to him. He hated it.

"Matthew? What happened in the forest?" North asked gently. "How did your eyes get burned?"

The Canadian shifted uncomfortably. He hadn't told anyone what happened yet, not even Jack. He bit his lip. He wanted to be honest with North. The man had opened his home to him and been nothing, but kind. He sighed as his boyfriend put a protective arm around his waist. He wouldn't mind as much telling Jack and North, but with the others there he wasn't so sure.

"Well,” Matthew started. "I'd been busy working for almost a week with no breaks. I went into the forest to find a place for a nap. I was exhausted and wasn't paying attention and stepped in the trap." He bit his lip. "I was stuck there for a day until Pitch showed up. I tried to fight him, but I was too weak. He easily pinned me and forced my eyes open. He poured dreamsand into them."

"Dreamsand?" Tooth asked confused.

"Dreamsand burns reapers." The Canadian shook his head. "Badly burns them."

"That's why I didn't want you to knock him out, Sandy." Jack explained. "It wouldn't do anything, but hurt him."

"How do you dream then?" North asked.

"I don't, I can't." The Reaper said. "I can't dream or have nightmares either."

"You don't deserve to dream." The Guardian of hope grumbled. He felt Jack let out an angry huff and shift next to him. He heard Bunny yelp before a loud thud. He guessed his boyfriend must have thrown snow or ice at the pooka. He didn't care what Bunny thought about him, but Jack was very protective.

"Everyone deserves to dream." Tooth snapped at the rabbit. Bunny laughed dryly. "If the worst murderers get to dream, he should too!"

"I don't technically sleep anymore anyways. I'm always processing souls in the back of my mind. The only time I'm not is if I black or pass out." Matthew shrugged. He used to actually sleep, but with almost two people dying every second he didn't have time to fully sleep anymore.

The Guardians finally changed the subject and let him be. He was grateful to be left alone. He leaned into Jack's side and rested his head on his shoulder. The winter spirit was colder than usual. The Reaper knew he was still angry at what Bunny said about him. He sighed and put a hand on his boyfriend's thigh trying to calm him. He felt Jack relax slightly at his touch as he leaned into him too. He put his hand over Matthew's and rested his head on top of his.

The Canadian was happy when the meeting was finally over. He really wanted to go have a nap. He wondered if the Guardian of fun had time to have one with him. He yawned as Kumakuro whined quietly licking his hand. He hummed tiredly petting the bear.


	14. Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fourteen

Jack stood up and took Matthew's hands. He pulled the Reaper up off the couch into a kiss. He blushed deeply, he wasn't one for pda. He was happy his hood and a shadow were hiding his face. He doubted the other Guardians were even looking at them. The winter spirit laughed lightly noticing his blush and let go of one of his hands.

"Ready for a nap Birdie?" The Guardian asked through a yawn. He was tired from causing storms.

"Yes." Matthew purred. "I was just thinking about that."

The pair turned to walk away from the other Guardians. He could hear North and Bunny arguing again. He wasn't sure where Sandy was and he could still hear Tooth's wings. Her buzzing got closer to them.

"Matthew? Can I talk to you for a minute?" The Guardian of memories asked nervously. Jack squeezed his hand to ask if he wanted him to stay. Matthew gave him a gentle smile telling him to go.

"Sure." The Reaper said as the winter spirit started towards their room. Kumakuro stayed at his side waiting patiently. "What do you need?"

"Do you remember who you were before you became a spirit?" Tooth asked. "I know Jack didn't so I ask everyone I get the chance to now."

"No, I don't." Matthew shook his head.

"Oh! I can help you with that!" The Guardian of memories said excitedly.

"That's alright Tooth." The Reaper smiled sadly. "Thanks for the offer though."

"What? You don't want to know who you were?" She asked confused.

"No, reapers are chosen because they deal with loss and death well. I know my life before probably wasn't too happy." The Canadian shrugged. Kumakuro nudged him feeling his mood shift. "I could find the memories in my soul if I wanted to look, but you know..."

"I understand." Tooth said putting a hand on his shoulder. He jumped slightly at her touch. He didn't expect it, but didn't really mind. "All those stories. You're nothing like what others described."

"Those stories are probably all true." Matthew said and the Guardian gasped. "I don't go looking for fights, but I get attacked often because of what I am. I always stay and fight because I hope they'll leave me alone if I beat the shit out of them. It really hasn't worked yet." He sighed. He wasn't sure why he was opening up to Tooth. "Jack was the second spirit I ever met that didn't attack me on sight."

"Awww, you don't deserve to be treated like that!" The Guardian of memories said pulling him into a hug. The Reaper was surprised at first, but hugged her back. Tooth always seemed like a very caring and motherly person. She seemed to genuinely care. "No one should be treated like that."

"No, but it's all I've really known." Matthew shook his head running a hand through Kumakuro's fur. It sounded like Tooth was going to say something, but there was some buzzing and chirping by her. He guessed it was a Baby Tooth. He didn't remember ever seeing one before. He wondered what they looked like.

"Oh, sorry Matthew. I've got to go." Tooth sighed. "Are you okay to get to where you need to?"

"Yeah, I'm alright." The Canadian said patting Kumakuro's shoulders. The bear leaned into his good leg. "Bye Tooth."

"Bye Matthew!" She said as she flew off.

The Reaper waved and Kumakuro nosed his thigh. He hummed and pet him as they started towards their room. He knew where he was going, but with the bear at his side he didn't need to worry or stress as much. 

The pair walked slowly together. Kumakuro got the door for him and Matthew pet him as a thanks. The bear was very smart and didn't need to be asked to do anything for him. The Reaper didn't even train him to open doors, warn him about stairs or obstacles. Before he'd have to listen intently or use shadows to find stuff. He was able to save a lot of energy and stay awake most of the day by not using the shadows. He was able to relax a lot more with Kumakuro at his side.

"Finally Birdie." Jack hummed from the bed. 

Matthew smiled sleepily as he took off his shoe. He put his bad knee up on their bed and felt for his boyfriend. The Guardian reached out and took his hands guiding him down into his arms. Jack hummed and traced his jaw pushing his hood down. The Reaper practically purred under his touch, he still couldn't get enough of his touch. The Canadian yawned quietly tucking his head under the winter spirit's chin. Kumakuro hopped onto the bed with them and curled up behind the Reaper's legs with his butt to his. 

"What did Tooth want?" The winter spirit asked.

"She asked if I had my memories from my life before." Matthew explained closing his eyes. "I told her not to worry about it."

"Oh." The Guardian mumbled. He sighed. "I'm sorry about what Bunny said."

"I don't care what he says about me." The Reaper said kissing his neck. "Your opinion is the only one that matters to me. You're the only person that really matters to me anyway."

"I still wish he wouldn't talk to you like that." Jack sighed wrapping his arms around his waist pulling him closer. Matthew shifted slightly moving his leg. He accidentally kicked the winter spirit with it.

"Sorry!" The Reaper quickly apologized. 

"It's okay." The Guardian hummed kissing his forehead.

"I can't wait to get that thing off." Matthew sighed. "And stop kicking you with it."

"You've only got what? Like a week?" Jack asked and the Canadian nodded. "How do you feel about going outside soon? After the cast comes off?"

"Maybe with you, but not alone. I don't want to get lost." The Reaper said biting his lip. "I'm okay in the pole with Kuma, but I'm nervous to go outside."

"Of course I'll be with you." The winter spirit said reassuringly. 

Matthew knew he would have to get used to going outside and later going out alone. Jack couldn't go with him for every single soul for twenty or more years, he didn't expect him to. The Canadian felt comfortable and fairly confident in the pole. He didn't mind walking around and exploring the pole with Kumakuro. He wouldn't mind going out into the snow with Jack. He did miss flying in open places and just being outside, but he was nervous. He didn't want to get lost or get attacked. He didn't think he could win a fight. Matthew knew he'd have to leave the pole at some point. He couldn't rely on North's kindness forever. It was the Guardian's home, not his.

"Thank you." The Reaper smiled gently. "I love you."

"I love you too." The Guardian hummed kissing him properly. "Don't worry about it, Birdie. You're my best friend and I want to help you."

"I know, I just don't want to be a burden." Matthew mumbled. Jack kissed his cheek.

"You're never a burden." The winter spirit said. He laughed lightly. "You're a Birdie."

The Reaper snorted and rolled his eyes. Jack always knew how to cheer him up. He sighed and nuzzled into the crook of his boyfriend's neck. The Guardian sighed contently and pressed a kiss into his hair.


	15. Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Fifteen

A few weeks later...

Matthew hummed quietly as they walked. He had his hand on Kumakuro's shoulders. The bear had got a bit bigger over the time he'd been with the Canadian. The pair were just walking around the pole together. He just got the cast off his leg yesterday. It had been weird at first not having the little bit of extra weight on his leg. 

The Reaper sighed seeing another death. He still felt bad that he couldn't go and help them. He kept busy and tried to block them out, but it was almost impossible. He still had to process souls. He was still nervous to go outside the pole. He'd been thinking a lot about it the last few days. He wanted to get back to helping souls, he did miss it. 

Matthew felt like he'd adjusted well. He could navigate the pole alone or with Kumakuro. He preferred to have the bear at his side, but wasn't fazed if he wasn't. He felt almost normal. He did day to day tasks almost as well as he did before. He was able to pick up on small queues to know how others felt without seeing their face. He knew Jack's best and was slowly learning North's. He was very confident inside the pole, but was nervous about going outside. 

Kumakuro stopped and he did too. The bear pushed his head back telling him there was a stair case in front of them. Matthew felt for the shadows and knew there was an up and a down case. He didn't know where either went.

"Where do you want to go Kuma?" The Canadian asked scratching him behind the ear. "Lead the way."

Kumakuro grumbled and started to walk again. He decided to take them down the stairs. Matthew felt the shadows to get down the stairs at a normal pace. It was a lot colder one floor down. He really didn't mind that much. He could smell fresh air and snow. He wondered if there was a sign around. He was surprised when North had told him there were Braille signs everywhere.

"Sign?" The Canadian asked. Kumakuro lead him over towards a wall. He reached out and felt for the plaque. He smiled as he found it and ran his finger over the Braille. "Storage."

The Reaper hummed and shrugged as Kumakuro started forward. They walked deeper into the pole. He paused suddenly feeling a presence. He knew there was someone else there with them. He felt for shadows trying to find one that would indicate a person, but didn't.

"Hello?" Matthew asked taking his hand off of the bears shoulders and spinning around. He tried to listen for footsteps or breathing, but there was nothing. "Hello?"

The Canadian jumped in surprise as someone took his hand. Kumakuro growled from his side feeling his fear. 

"Hi!" A small voice said excitedly jumping up and down holding his hand. It was a child, no older than eight. He realized the presence was a ghost. "My name is Elliot. I can't believe you can see me!"

"Well, I can't exactly see you, but I know you're here." Matthew smiled gently crouching down. Kumakuro whined and nudged his side in confusion. 

"Why can't you see me?" Elliot asked sadly. "I'm I going to always be invisible?"

"No, you're probably there as a spectre. I felt you take my hand so you're here." The Canadian said. "I can't see you since I'm blind."

"Oh, I'm sorry." The boy apologized.

"That's alright." Matthew hummed lightly squeezing his hand. It was the first time he'd said he was blind out loud to someone. "How did you get here?"

"I snuck into Santa's bag!" The boy said proudly. "I wandered around and got lost down here."

The Reaper could remember only one person that died at the pole. He knew he had starved to death not being able to find his way back out. He sighed and sat down crossing his legs. Kumakuro grunted and sat next to him. He let out a huff and leaned into him. Matthew laughed quietly running his hands through his thick fur.

"Why do you have a bear?" Elliot asked curiously.

"Kumakuro is like a guide dog for me." The Canadian explained. He wondered if the bear could see the ghost. He sat and spoke with the child for quite a while. He eventually got hungry and told the ghost he'd come back and visit him.

Kumakuro lead him back up stairs. He would shadow jump to the kitchen, but he like to walk and he didn't know how it would affect the bear. He didn't want to make him sick or jump and leave him down there. 

The pair got to the stairs and Matthew felt for the shadows to go up them. He'd been using the shadows to know his surroundings more often. It didn't cause him headaches as much anymore, but it made him tired more quickly. He didn't want to ever rely fully on the shadows.

Matthew sighed as they walked out into the main workshop. Kumakuro pulled and pushed him around the working yetis. He felt his stomach rumble again and bit his lip. He suddenly felt a breeze and smiled. He knew Jack was back from making a storm. He paused and leaned against a wall down one of the connecting halls out of the way. Kumakuro sat next to him nudging his thigh wanting pets. The Canadian smiled and pet him.

"Hello, Jackie." The Reaper greeted hearing him land in front of him.

"Hi Birdie." The winter spirit hummed kissing his nose. Matthew smiled. "You've got amazing hearing."

The Canadian reached up and found his face. He traced his jaw and over his cheeks. He felt Jack smile from his touch and leaned in to kiss him. He missed his lips and kissed his chin, but corrected himself with a laugh. The Guardian's hands went to his hips pulling him closer as he raised his wings to hide their faces. Matthew hummed happily wrapping his arms around Jack's shoulders. They broke apart and the winter spirit kissed his forehead. He smiled brightly at his touch.

"I love making you smile." The Guardian said kissing him again.

"I love you." The Reaper hummed hugging him tightly.

"I love you too." Jack said kissing his cheek. The pair stood quietly for a while until Matthew's stomach rumbled. "Hungry, Birdie?" 

"Yeah, I was just going to the kitchen." Matthew said.

"Do you maybe want to go out?" The winter spirit asked nervously. "Could go and find a pancake place or grocery store? Up for a flight and food?"

"Uhhhh." The Canadian shifted anxiously.

Matthew knew he needed to go out, he wanted to go out, but he was nervous. He remembered going to the forest with him to get his dagger back. He had been a bit nervous, but it wasn't that bad. He was mostly nervous to fly. He'd done it a few times to get into the rafters, but that was in an enclosed space. He didn't want to fly and get lost in the sky.

"Yeah." The Reaper bit his lip. The Guardian kissed his cheek reassuringly.

"I'll be right there. I won't let you get lost or fly into anything." Jack said hugging him tightly. Matthew sighed and buried his face in the crook of his neck. "I promise."

"I know you won't. I'm just nervous." The Reaper sighed shaking his head. "I guess we should tell North before we leave."

"Yeah." Jack hummed wrapping an arm around his waist. Kumakuro took his normal position beside Matthew with his hand on his shoulders. The pair started to walk looking for the older Guardian.


	16. Chapter SIxteen

Chapter Sixteen

The pair walked looking for North. Matthew heard him before Jack spotted him. They walked over and greeted the older Guardian.

"Hello, Jack, Matthew." North said. "What are you up to?"

"We're going to go out for a bit." Jack hummed.

"Oh, alright." The Russian said. "I'll take care of Kumakuro."

"Thank you." Matthew said with a smile. He pet the bear and he leaned into his leg. "We'll be back, Kuma." Kumakuro whined in confusion. The Canadian scratched him behind the ear. "Stay with North. We'll be back."

The Reaper pet Kumakuro again before letting him go with North. Jack pet the bear as well before taking his hand. The pair walked together down to the front door of the pole. He was still nervous to fly, but he was excited too. He was happy to feel the freezing cold outside of the pole. He loved the cold. He hummed as the wind blew ruffling his feathers as and pulling at his hood. 

"Ready?" Jack asked kissing the back of his hand. 

Matthew smiled nervously and nodded. He stretched his wings out and flexed them. It had been awhile since he'd used them. The winter spirit held his hand and called the wind. It swirled around them and picked them up. The Reaper kept his wings spread and let the wind carry him. He was on edge. He didn't really like flying. He had no idea where he was or how high up they were. He knew he'd be okay with Jack at his side.

"Okay, Birdie?" The Guardian asked.

"Yeah." Matthew said. He didn't sound very convincing. He took a deep breath and relaxed slightly. He felt for shadows and pieced the world below him together.

The Reaper knew they were still over the Arctic. There weren't any harsh lines in the shadows to suggest any buildings or man made things. He felt a bit better knowing what was under him. He only took a few snapshots as they flew. He didn't want to get too tired.

"Where do you want to go?" Jack asked from underneath him. Matthew shrugged. "What do you want to eat?"

"Pancakes?" The Canadian suggested. He heard the Guardian laugh lightly. 

"Okay!" The winter spirit hummed. He felt a light kiss being pressed to his nose. Matthew laughed knowing Jack was probably flying upside down below him. 

"Jack Frost nipping at my nose." The Reaper laughed. He heard Jack sigh. He smiled brightly. "I wonder who started that legend?"

"I don't know." The Guardian sighed. "Was it you?"

"No." Matthew hummed with a bright smile. 

The pair flew quietly for a while. He felt more comfortable in the air now. He kept taking snapshots figuring out the world below him. He got better at piecing together what was underneath him. He could tell there was a city below them now. He knew by the harsh straight shadows. He could tell there were houses and others were bigger skyscrapers.

"I see a place." Jack said catching his attention. He took the Canadian's hand and let the wind take them down. Matthew's landing was a bit awkward. It took him a moment to get his feet on the ground. "Okay?"

"Yes, I just didn't exactly know where the ground was." The Reaper said with a small smile. Jack took his hand and kissed his cheek. He pulled him along.

Matthew used the shadows and his other senses to figure out were they were. He noticed they were in between two buildings. He could hear cars not too far off and he could smell food. He could also hear muffled talking inside. It was French, but Quebec French. He knew they were in Canada, he had felt it earlier.

"Wait here for a minute." The Guardian said and he nodded. "I'll be right back."

The Reaper listened and tracked his steps. He heard Jack open a door and people complain about the cold breeze. He laughed quietly to himself. He felt for shadows again. He found one that had a vertical flat side and assumed it was a wall. He walked over with one hand out and found it. He turned and leaned against it.

Matthew sighed closing his eyes. He felt liked he'd been overthinking about flying. He'd been nervous and terrified of getting lost or hitting something, but it wasn't that bad. He was able to feel the shadows and get an idea of what was below him. It would be a bit harder to tell exactly where he was in the world, but he'd always be able to find Canada. He could head North and find the pole from there. He felt a lot better about going out. He wasn't too nervous about it as much.

"Got 'em, Birdie!" Jack called happily as he walked up to him. He could hear some plastic rustling. "Where do you want to eat?"

"In a forest?" Matthew suggested. It was normally where they ate. "By a tree?"

"Sure, there's a forest just a few minutes walk away. Saw it when we flew in." The winter spirit said and the Canadian nodded. He took his hand and they started to walk. 

Jack took them out to the Main Street. There were a lot of sounds and smells. It was a bit overwhelming. He concentrated on a few things like the smell of a bakery making bread and the sound of birds singing. He smiled as they walked. He liked being out, more than he thought he would. He did feel a bit weird without Kumakuro at his side.

The Reaper and winter spirit made it to the forest. They picked a tree and sat at the base. Jack handed him a plate and he knew they were pancakes. He could smell them and his mouth was watering. The Guardian gave him a fork and a bottle. He guessed it was syrup by the shape of the glass. He got the lid open and immediately smelled maple. He hummed happily pouring the syrup on his pancakes. He gave what he didn't use to Jack. Matthew ate quickly. He couldn't resist the food. He could hear his boyfriend crunching on his own frozen pancakes.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you." The Canadian said as he finished his food. "North's got a ghost in his basement."

"Really?" Jack asked surprised and he nodded. "I wonder if he knows?"

"I doubt it." The Reaper shook his head. "He said no one had seen him at all."

"What did you think about flying?" The winter spirit asked. 

"I think I was worrying way too much." Matthew sighed letting his head rest against the bark of the tree. "I think I'll be okay to go on my own pretty quickly." He smiled. "Thank you for taking me out."

"You're welcome, Mattie." Jack hummed kissing his cheek. He leaned into the Reaper's side and put an arm around his waist. "It's a good idea to get out."

"Yeah." The Canadian nodded. "I think it's time I start going to help souls again."

"Okay." The Guardian hummed kissing his jaw. He smiled at his gentle kisses and touches. "I want to go with you for the first while. Just encase."

"Yeah. I want you to come with me for a bit." Matthew said biting his lip. He sighed contently as Jack rested his head on his shoulder. He smiled and rested his head on top of his boyfriend's. "I'm so thankful for North. He's done so much for me."

"North's just that kind of person." Jack said kissing his neck. 

"I don't know how much longer I'll stay there." The Canadian mumbled. He was comfortable at the pole, but he didn't want to overstay his welcome.

"I think we should stay longer." The Guardian said. "It's good to have the doctors there. You never know."

"I don't want to be a burden to North." Matthew admitted.

"You're not Birdie!" Jack said reassuringly. "North likes having us around. He likes helping people. He wants you to have a safe place to heal and adjust."

"North's a good person." The Canadian smiled. "I should find a way to thank him."


	17. Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Seventeen

A month later...

Matthew sighed resting his head against the window. He loved feeling the cool glass. He was sitting on the ledge of one of the huge workshop windows. Kumakuro was curled up on the ground next to him. He had one of his hands down playing with his ears. Every once and a while the bear would swat or lick his hand. He wondered how long until Jack would be back. He was off making another storm.

The Reaper's eyes were still healing. It had been almost two months since the forest. The burns around his eyes and down his cheeks had completely healed and scarred. Jack said it wasn't that bad, he knew the scars would fade eventually. The winter spirit also told him his eyes looked mostly normal, but a bit cloudy. He still couldn't see at all not even any light. His leg had completely healed a while ago. It had healed quickly after the infection was gone.

Jack and he had been going out together to get souls. He was fine flying and feeling for shadows. He had built up a lot of magical stamina for finding the shadows. He felt comfortable flying and navigating new environments. He still missed having Kumakuro with him, but he couldn't exactly bring a live real bear into peoples houses or into a city. People could see and would probably try to trap or kill him.

Matthew had made friends with the other Guardians, except Bunny. He'd been a bit awkward at first and didn't like opening up. He felt very vulnerable with his walls down, but he got used to it. He liked having friends. Jack had been a bit jealous at first, but it wore off quickly. He was happy that he was happy.

Tooth was very mothering and loved talking with him. She loved to talk about the past and telling stories. North was the same. The Russian like sharing meals with him. He had helped him cook a few times. He had even taught the older Guardian how to make pancakes. The Canadian did have a bit of trouble communicating with Sandy. The Guardian of dreams didn't speak and used his sand to make pictures. He couldn't see them and the sand was to bright for him to feel any shadows. Jack or one of the others had to be there for them to 'talk.' He really respected the other Guardians.

Bunny still hated him and always made off hand comments about him. He didn't care about what he said. His boyfriend wasn't too happy about what he would say about him. Matthew was able to easily calm his anger and annoyance.

Jack was always all over him when he was at the pole. He was always kissing and touching him. He had always been affectionate, but it seemed like he was a lot more now. Matthew didn't mind at all. He knew the Guardian worried about him a lot. He liked keeping him busy to distract from the deaths. He was very good at it. He loved every kiss and touch he got from Jack.

"Hello, Matthew." North said as he walked up to him. The Reaper smiled. "How are you today?"

"I'm good." Matthew hummed. He sighed and moved his head to look up at the Guardian. "Thank you. For everything you've done, I really appreciate it. I don't know how I will ever repay you."

"You're welcome Matthew." North said lightly patting his back. "There is no need for repayment. I enjoy having you around. You're a good person, you're nothing like what others say."

"I'm a lot like what others say." The Reaper sighed shaking his head. "I hurt spirits all the time."

"Yes, but you've said before that you only hurt them to get them to leave you alone. You only hurt them if they attack you first." North said reassuringly. "Your reaction is understandable."

"My reputation isn't good. A reaper's reputation is probably better than my personal one at this point." Matthew mumbled.

"People shouldn't judge others by their reputation or stories they hear." The Guardian sighed. "You're a good person, Matthew."

"I'm definitely not a good person." The Canadian laughed lightly.

"You are!" North said reassuringly patting his back. "You help people in their worst time. Believe and think a bit higher of yourself."

"Thank you, North." Matthew said wholeheartedly. He had grown to really respect the Guardian and his words meant a lot to him. He heard footsteps and a yeti said something to North.

"Well, elves are getting into trouble." The Russian grumbled. The Reaper laughed. "I need to go and stop them."

"Have fun." Matthew said sarcastically. He heard the Guardian laugh as he walked away. He smiled to himself petting Kumakuro's ears. He felt nice and relaxed. It unfortunately didn't last long. A death flashed across his mind and he sighed. The Canadian bit his lip. He'd been going with Jack, but he felt ready to go alone. "I'll be back Kuma."

The Reaper stood up from the window ledge and pet the bear. He felt for shadows and walked over to one. He connected it to one outside and stepped through. He spread his wings and got into the air. He went above the clouds and followed his instincts to the soul. 

It was a pretty long flight over the Arctic and Europe to go down to Australia. He didn't mind that much. He found the house the soul was in. He felt for shadows and found his way to the body. He knelt down next to it and pulled the soul forward. He judged and sent it away before standing up.

Matthew spread his wings and went towards Canada. From there, he went north. He was always able to figure out exactly were he was in Canada. He flew up high and felt for shadows. He found straight harsh ones and knew it was the pole. He smiled to himself feeling confident now that he went out and found his way back by himself.

The Canadian landed near the pole and stepped through a shadow inside. He made his way into the workshop to find Kumakuro. It wasn't long until he felt a cold breeze and he was pulled into a tight hug.

"Birdie! Where did you go?" Jack asked pulling back. He didn't have time to answer before he was shut up by the winter spirit kissing him. "I was so worried!"

"Sorry, I just went to get a soul." Matthew said reassuringly. He was pulled down into another kiss and smiled into it. He heard claws clicking before fur brushed his hand. Kumakuro sat by his leg.

"By yourself? Awesome!" The Guardian hummed. The Reaper smiled as he took his hand. "Next time, please tell someone though."

"I didn't think about that." Matthew sighed. He scratched Kumakuro behind the ear. "I will next time."

"I love you." Jack said kissing his cheek. The Canadian couldn't help, but smile. Kumakuro nosed his hand and the trio started to walk. "Ready for a nap?"

"Always." The Reaper hummed. The flight and feeling for shadows had taken quite a bit out of him.

They made it to their room and Matthew yawned. Jack jumped into the bed while he sat on the edge to take off his boots. The Guardian wrapped his arms around his waist and tried to pull him down. The Canadian laughed and lightly whacked him with a wing. He flopped over and tackled Jack. He pressed kisses to his collarbone and pulled him to his chest. The winter spirit hummed and tucked his head under Matthew's chin. Kumakuro hopped up into the bed and settled down at their feet. Both sighed contently and fell asleep quickly.


	18. Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Eighteen

"Jack?" Matthew asked. 

The pair were sitting curled up together on the window bench. The winter spirit was sitting in his lap facing him. He had his arms wrapped around his neck and rested his head on his shoulder. The Canadian had his arms around his waist and his wings cocooned around them. Kumakuro was curled up on the floor next to them sleeping peacefully. It had been a few weeks and he'd been going out to get souls on his own. 

"Yeah?" The Guardian asked moving and kissing his cheek.

"Will you spar with me?" The Reaper asked tilting his head.

"What? Why?" Jack asked confused.

"I want to know if I can fight blind." Matthew said. He was used to fighting in low light against Pitch, but not completely without sight. He knew he could always sing, but he was worried about running into the deaf fire spirit.

"I don't want to hurt you Birdie." The winter spirit said shifting nervously. The Canadian rolled his eyes.

"You won't, I trust you." The Reaper said stretching up to kiss his jaw. He was a bit off and kissed his neck. "I need practice and I'd rather have it with you then get attacked and practice that way."

"Okay." Jack agreed reluctantly.

Matthew smiled gently and kissed his cheek. He moved his wings to let him up. The Guardian stood and offered him a hand. He obviously couldn't see it and stood up himself. Jack still forgot that he couldn't see his gestures or expressions. He took the Reaper's hand and kissed the back of it. Kumakuro woke up with a yawn and stood up ready to go.

"I guess we'll go to one of the bigger empty halls?" The winter spirit suggested and he nodded. The trio started to walk. Matthew relaxed and let Jack and Kumakuro guide him along. "No weapons?"

"Yeah." The Reaper agreed. He heard the Guardian lean his staff against the wall as he let go of his hand. He pet Kumakuro and told him to go lay down. He knew the bear was protective of him and he didn't want him to hurt Jack. Kumakuro waddled off to go sleep on their bed. "Ready?"

"I guess so." The Guardian sighed. They'd never actually physically fought before. Both were a bit nervous to hurt each other, but trusted one another. Both of them stood awkwardly for a moment waiting for the other to attack. "I guess I should attack first?"

The Reaper nodded. He heard Jack's movements and knew he was coming at him. He felt for shadows and could make out the outline of his fist. He made a force field to block its path and heard it connect. He stepped to the side and could hear the Guardian shift. He felt for the shadows and noticed that Jack was dropping low. He knew the winter spirit would try to trip and pin him. He noticed the shadow under him was moving and jumped into the air. 

Matthew felt for the shadow again as he landed in a crouch. He knew Jack was moving towards him again. He made a small force field on his foot level. He heard him yelp as he fell forward. He landed with a thump. The Canadian was able to pinpoint him with sound. He jumped on top of him and pinned him to the ground. He laughed lightly and leaned down kissing his boyfriend.

"I'd say you're still pretty good at fighting." Jack said once they broke apart. "Cheap shot though."

"Was it?" Matthew asked innocently. He found fighting a bit harder than before. It would give him a bit of a challenge. He leaned down and kissed the winter spirit again. "Thank you."

"No problem, Birdie." Jack hummed kissing his nose. The Reaper laughed as his hands went to his hips. The Guardian quickly swapped their positions and pinned him. Matthew smiled as he leaned down kissing his neck and jaw. He peppered kisses all over his face. He hummed happily and wrapped his arms around Jack's shoulders as he pulled him down for a proper kiss. "I love you so much. You're so strong and beautiful."

"Je t'aime aussi ma raison de vivre." The Reaper said with a gentle smile. Jack hummed kissing him heatedly again. It was hard for them to resist. He smirked into it wrapping his legs around the Guardian's hips and switched their positions again. "We probably shouldn't be making out on North's floor."

"We've made out in weirder places before." Jack laughed and Matthew shrugged.

"Well maybe we can have a bit of fun?" The Reaper purred kissing the winter spirit's jaw.

"You were just complaining about making out on North's floor and now you want to have 'fun' here?" The Guardian asked confused.

"Not here!" Matthew laughed shaking his head. "Somewhere more private and out of the way. It's been awhile, I want you."

"I think I know just the place." Jack hummed. The Reaper could hear the smirk in his voice. He sat back and let him sit up. He stood up and offered the winter spirit his hand. He took it and pulled him up into a kiss. The Guardian smiled into it sweeping Matthew off his feet. "Let's go have some fun."

AN: I won't be doing smut for this fic

\-----❄️"I go to seek a Great Perhaps."❄️-----

A few weeks later...

Matthew had been going out on his own and he'd been fine. He was able to navigate with shadows and sound easily by himself. He'd been able to completely avoid all other spirits. He hadn't had to fight. He did feel normal now, he sometimes forgot that he couldn't see.

Jack had mentioned more then once he had changed for the better. The Canadian knew he had changed. Pitch wanted him to see nothing accept deaths, but instead he started to see friends in people he had avoided. He was more open and happier. He never thought he'd have anyone other than Jack and Death. He was more relaxed and calmer around the Guardians instead of being on edge or defensive.

The pair were still staying with North at the pole. Matthew was fine on his own and could go back home, but he didn't really want to. There was always something going on at the pole and it kept him distracted. He liked being around North, the yetis and elves; it surprised him. The Russian was like a father to him, he was very patient and kind. The older Guardian definitely didn't mind having the pair around. It made the pole a little more unpredictable than it already was.

"Matthew?" The Canadian looked up from where he was sitting on one of the kitchen counters reading. He smiled knowing it was North. "Are you hungry? I'm about to make lunch. Would you like something?"

"Yeah, yes please!" The Reaper hummed. "Have you ever made pancakes before?"

"Pancakes? No, I don't think so." The Russian mumbled confused. 

"I could show and help you make them?" Matthew suggested with a bright smile.

"Alright! I'm always excited to try something new!" North said excitedly. The Canadian smiled closing his book and hopping off the counter. Kumakuro grumbled sleepily. He heard him huff and shift to curl up. "What do we need?"

The Reaper listed off the ingredients and North found them. He explained what and how much to mix together. He walked him through the steps of cooking them. He hummed happily at the scent.  
The Guardian had managed to get the pancakes right with his instructions.

"These are amazing!" North said excitedly taking a bite. Matthew smiled eating his own. "When did you learn to make these?"

"I don't know. It's one of the few things I remember from before." The Reaper shrugged finishing his pancakes. "They're my favourite food. I'd normally have maple syrup, but they're okay without it."

"Syrup? I'd love to try it next time!" North said patting him on the back.


	19. Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Nineteen

"Feel what I brought, Birdie!" Jack said excitedly running up to him. Matthew and Kumakuro were just wandering in the workshop when he felt the wind. The Guardian handed him something. It was soft and furry, it was a bit heavy and kind of square.

"A blanket?" The Canadian asked unfolding it. It smelled like him and Jack. "Our blanket from the sanatorium?"

"Yeah! It's your favourite one, right?" The winter spirit asked. Matthew nodded and smiled. The Guardian was always so thoughtful. 

"Thank you." The Reaper hummed as Jack's arm snaked around his waist. He smiled happily and leaned over aiming for his cheek. He was a bit off and accidentally kissed the side of his nose. The Guardian laughed quietly and turned to kiss him properly. "Je t'aime."

"I love you too." Jack said as they started to walk. Kumakuro kept at his side as they went. Matthew smiled. He loved having both him and the Guardian at his side. 

The Reaper knew were they were going by the route Jack was taking. The pair curled up together with their fuzzy blanket on the window bench. Matthew was in the winter spirit's lap facing him. He rested his head on his chest while Jack had his arms around his waist. Kumakuro hopped up with them and laid by their feet. There was barely enough room for the now fully grown bear.

"Birdie?" Jack asked gaining his attention. He moved his head towards him. 

"Yeah?" The Canadian asked raising an eyebrow.

"Will you sing for me?" The Guardian asked. Matthew smiled gently. He would only willingly sing for Jack and ghosts. It wasn't often the winter spirit asked because he knew he was very reserved about his voice.

"Sure. Anything in particular?" The Canadian asked. 

"Not really. Just something happy." Jack suggested. The Reaper nodded and tried to think of a happy song he knew. He didn't know many happy songs. He remembered one he heard recently and smiled.

"I found a love for me. Darling, just dive right in and follow my lead. Well, I found a girl, beautiful and sweet. Oh, I never knew you were the someone waiting for me." Matthew started. He smiled as he sang. He knew Jack was probably smiling down at him. "We are still kids but we're so in love, fighting against all odds. I know we'll be alright this time. Darling, just hold my hand. Be my girl, I'll be your man. I see my future in your eyes. Baby, I'm dancing in the dark, with you between my arms, barefoot on the grass, listening to our favourite song. When I saw you in that dress, looking so beautiful. I don't deserve this. Darling, you look perfect tonight."

The Reaper repeated the last verse before he fell silent. Jack kissed his temple and held him close. He smiled and stretched up looking for a proper kiss. His boyfriend immediately leaned down giving him one. Matthew smiled happily into it reaching up and tracing his jaw before his fingers tangled in the Guardian's hair. They broke apart for breath, but Jack immediately went in for another kiss. They broke apart again for breath and both laughed. 

"I love hearing you sing. I love seeing you smile. I just love anything you do." The winter spirit said kissing his nose. Matthew smiled. "Every little thing you do makes me love you even more. I didn't think it was possible to love someone as much as I love you, Matthew."

"I love you so much." The Reaper said with tears in his eyes. He buried his face in the crook of Jack's neck. He pressed a soft kiss into his temple and rubbed circles into his hips with his thumbs. "You've saved me so many times. Even when you weren't there you were the reason, I stayed alive. I will never break that promise, I can't. You mean so much to me."

"I don't want to exist without you." The Guardian said nuzzling into his hair and let out a breath. 

Matthew hummed happily tears still in his eyes. Jack pulled the blanket tighter around them and yawned. The Canadian was happy being surrounded by the winter spirit's scent and cold. The pair were able to fall asleep quickly when they had each other.

\-----❄️"When people don't express themselves, they die one piece at a time."❄️-----

The Reaper hummed feeling the sun on his skin. He was sitting on a street light just listening to the people down below. He wasn't exactly sure where he was, but he knew it was somewhere in France. He didn't normally enjoy heat or warmth, but today he didn't mind it. He rolled up his sleeves and moved one wing in front of him to preen.

Once he was done, he just sat and relaxed. He hummed to himself contently. It was getting a bit warmer and he could smell rain in the distance. He sighed and stood up on the street light. He was about to spread his wings and fly back to the pole, but an odd smell caught his attention. He paused for a moment and something grabbed his wrist. It burned him and he recoiled from the touch with a yelp.

The Canadian jumped off the street light and felt for shadows trying to find what had burned him. He found a shadow that was shaped like a person. He took a few steps back away from it. He could smell the burnt flesh on his arm. He growled and drew his dagger stepping back more. He wanted to get to a big enough shadow to jump through, but didn't want to take his attention away from his attacker.

"Well hello there, Reaper." A very familiar fire spirit greeted. Matthew growled angrily. "Haven't seen you around in a while. Then again according to Pitch you haven't seen anyone in a while."

The Canadian could hear the man taking steps towards him. He kept stepping back raising his dagger threateningly. He felt for the shadows again figuring out the best way to attack. He would just leave, but the fire spirit had annoyed him. He heard the man laugh and the Reaper lunged at him. 

Matthew knew he made contact at the pained yell. He smiled and took another swipe. He felt the resistance against his blade and he could smell blood. The fire spirit started to move. He heard a crackling sound to his left. He quickly put up a force field and heard something hit it. He guessed the spirit must have thrown a knife or fireball at him. The Canadian tracked him with shadows. He lunged at him again. 

The Reaper smirked as he cut the man again. He could feel his blood on his hands. He watched shadows and noticed the man tried to take a swing at him. He hopped back out of the way as the spirit advanced. He put up another force field in front of the man and one behind to trap him.

"Let me go!" The fire spirit growled angrily. 

Matthew just smiled sweetly and crushed him slowly between the two barriers. He hummed at the man's screams as his bones snapped. It was one of his favourite ways to hurt people without getting his hands dirty. His attitude towards the Guardians might have changed, but he still hated other spirits.

The Reaper grumbled and dropped the force fields. He heard the fire spirit hit the ground as he walked into a shadow. He sighed at the cooler air of the pole.

"Matthew?!"


	20. Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty

"Matthew?!" North's voice made him jump in surprise. He could hear his footsteps rushing towards him. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." The Reaper said quickly pulling his hood down. He didn't like people worrying about him. "It's not my blood."

"No? What about your arm?" The Guardian said gently grabbing his wrist to get a better look at the burn. "Come, we'll get a yeti to look at it."

"North, really." Matthew sighed as the Russian pulled him along. "I'm okay."

"I'll let the doctor decide that." North said. 

The Canadian grumbled annoyed. He dragged him into the medical wing and had him sit on one of the beds. He complied with what he asked wanting to get this over with. He heard the Guardian's footsteps return with another pair. The yeti doctor took her time checking the burn. She decided to disinfect and wrap it before cleaning the fire spirit's blood from his skin.

"Thank you." Matthew said with a small smile. The yeti garbled something and pat his back. He sighed and gently pulled his sleeve down over the bandages. He pulled the other one down as well getting up off the bed.

"Matthew?" North asked. The Reaper raised an eyebrow. "Walk with me."

The Canadian was a bit confused, but nodded. He walked over to where the Guardian was waiting and followed his steps out the door. North lead him down one of the quiet halls of the pole before he spoke again.

"I worry about you." The Russian said. Matthew looked down biting his lip. "Jack told me about your immortality when you were sick."

"Oh." The Canadian said. He wasn't angry, but surprised. He didn't like people knowing, the ones who did hunt reapers. "You don't need to worry about me."

"You and Jack are both like family to me. I don't like seeing either one of you hurt." North sighed putting a hand on his shoulder. Both were quiet for a moment. Matthew trusted the Russian the most, next to Jack, out of the Guardians. He was like a father to him. "I don't want to upset you, but the scars on your arms. Are they self inflicted?"

"Yes." The Reaper said honestly. North immediately pulled him into a bear hug. He was a bit surprised at first, but hugged back. "They're old though. I haven't in over a hundred years." 

"But why?" North asked as they stepped back. 

"Each cut was a soul I had to help, a person that the world failed. I wasn't in the best mindset back then." Matthew shook his head. "Jack was the one that stopped me. I really wouldn't be here without him."

"How long have you known Jack?" The Guardian asked.

"Probably about three hundred years or more." The Reaper sighed. He heard claws clicking and knew Kumakuro was walking towards him. He smiled as the bear licked his fingers. He pet him. "It's a bit of a story."

"I'd love to hear it if you don't mind." North hummed. "I don't know much about your past."

"I guess I should start with Pitch then?" The Canadian asked as they started to walk again. He could remember how disgusted the Guardians were when he mentioned they had dated. 

"Yes." The Russian said gently.

"Well, reapers and Pitch have always fought. He steals souls from us and makes fearlings out of them. When I was new it was almost a year before I met him. I didn't have any fighting experience at all and he knew it, he offered me a deal. He wouldn't steal souls of I lived with him. Both of us stayed pretty isolated so it seemed like a good deal to me. I wouldn't have to fight him and was pretty lonely at the time so I agreed." Matthew explained. "We didn't date right away. It was a while before he started to court me. I never loved him at all, I went along with it because I didn't want to mess up our deal. I still didn't know how to fight, but that changed. Pitch taught me how after a spirit found and hurt me. It wasn't much longer until he stole a soul. We fought, I won and left."

"How long did you live with Pitch?" North asked as they turned a corner.

"About twenty years." The Reaper shrugged. "I met Jack about a year later. He was the second spirit to not attack me on sight, we became friends. A few years later I started to feel really bad. All the deaths I saw were starting to get to me. I started cutting and managed to hide it from Jack for a while. He found out eventually. He tried to get me to stop, but it was hard." He shook his head with a sigh. "I had fallen in love with Jack, but I wouldn't tell him. I didn't want him to hate me. One day he found me in an alley. I was pretty close to taking my own life, but Jack stopped me. He took the knife from me and said he loved me. I was surprised and told him I did too. He made me promise that I would never, no matter what, take my own life. Things got a bit better for a while after that."

"You two have been together for that long?" North asked in surprise. Matthew shook his head.

"No, we dated for probably thirty years before I left." The Canadian bit his lip. "I had started drinking really heavily just before the First World War started. It numbed me and I forgot some of the deaths. I was constantly drinking even when it ended." He admitted. "I was almost never fully sober. I knew I was hurting Jack by drinking, but I couldn't stop. I thought I needed the alcohol more than him. I hated that I was hurting him and broke it off. I knew he'd be better off without me. I avoided him for years."

"You kept drinking after?" North asked.

"Yeah." Matthew said with a small laugh. He sighed. "I didn't stop drinking until about a year or two ago. I stopped just after you guys started to follow me. At that point the alcohol wasn't doing anything for me so I stopped. Jack and I started talking and then we started dating again." The Canadian smiled. "Jack has almost always been the reason I stayed alive."

"I'm glad you did." North said pulling him into another hug. "You're a good person. You deserve better than what you had."

"I'm very happy with who I have now." The Canadian said with a bright smile. "I'm happy to have Jack, Tooth, Sandy and of course you! I know I've already thanked you, but I really can't thank you enough."

"Birdie!" Jack called. Matthew turned to the sound and smiled. The wind blew and he was at his side. He snaked an arm around his waist. "How are you?"

"I'm good." The Reaper hummed as Jack kissed his cheek.

"Jack, Matthew?" North asked getting their attention. "You've been living here for a while and I like having you. Would you like to stay here permanently?"

"Mattie?" The winter spirit asked smiling over at him. He couldn't see his smile, but the Reaper was smiling too. Jack squeezed his waist.

"I'd like that." Matthew said and the Guardian of fun nodded with him. "Thank you, North.”


	21. Chapter Twenty One

Chapter Twenty One

A few months later...

Matthew smiled listening to Jack speak. The pair were sitting in North's library on one of the love seats. He was curled into the Guardian's side as he read aloud. Kumakuro was sleeping peacefully behind the Canadian's legs and he was petting his head. He hummed happily feeling completely relaxed. He didn't get to relax long since a death flashed across his mind. He sighed.

"Have to go?" Jack asked kissing his temple. He nodded sadly.

"Yeah." The Reaper sighed leaning into his touch. He didn't really want to move. He groaned and moved his legs. 

Kumakuro grumbled as he stood up. The bear jumped off the couch with him. He heard his claws click before he huffed and hugged him. Matthew laughed lightly and hugged the bear back. He'd been doing that a lot lately, standing on his back legs and hugging him. The bear would only hug him. He learned it from them probably. Kumakuro let go and went back on to the couch.

"See you in a bit, Birdie." Jack said standing up and pulling him into a kiss. Matthew smiled into it and kissed his nose after they broke apart. "I love you."

"Love you too, Jackie." The Canadian smiled as he stepped away. He sighed and walked into a shadow to outside.

The Reaper spread his wings and flew. He followed his instincts towards the soul. Her name sounded familiar to him, Sophie Bennett. He sighed and kept flying. He managed to find his way to the body. He could smell gasoline and blood in the air. There were sirens and people talking. He crouched down next to the girl and pulled her soul forward. 

The girl, her older brother and mother had been driving home from a movie when their car had been hit by a drunk driver. She had been killed instantly, but the driver, her brother and mother had walked away with few small injuries. He promised to be harsh of the drunk driver if the legal system wasn't and sent her soul away.

Matthew was about to spread his wings and fly, but he felt eyes on him. He paused and felt for shadows. He noticed one that resembled a person facing him. He guessed that's who's eyes were on him. It seemed like the young man was wanting to step forward and speak with him, but didn't want to move closer to the wreck. He knew it was the girl's older brother, Jamie. He decided to go over and see if he could actually see him or if he was imagining it.

"Hello." The teen greeted quietly as soon as he got closer. "Who are you?"

"I'm the Grim Reaper, but my name is Matthew." The Canadian said gently. He was surprised the boy could see him.

"She's really gone?" Jamie asked and Matthew nodded.

"Yes. I'm sorry." The Reaper sighed. "She didn't feel any pain at all. She's in a better place now."

"I guess, but it still hurts." The teen mumbled. The Canadian smiled sadly. "I'll miss her."

"Of course it does, but it will pass. You could meet her again someday. You never know." Matthew said reassuringly. He was quiet for a moment trying to think of why he felt like he'd heard about this kid before.

"Are you surprised that I can see you?" Jamie asked.

"A little bit, yes." The Reaper admitted. "You seem familiar, I know your name from somewhere."

"I know Jack and the Guardians." Jamie offered. Matthew realized that the teen was Jack's first believer. He talked about him and told him a lot of stories. 

"That's where I know you from." The Canadian said with a small smile. He heard footsteps coming towards them. "I'm sorry, I have to go. Keep your head up Jamie, things will get better."

"Yeah, thank you." The teen said as he spread his wings. 

Matthew quickly got into the air and flew for the pole. He landed outside and found a shadow. He stepped through it inside taking his hood down and decided to look for Jack. He felt for the wind and followed the breeze. He felt for shadows as he moved. He wove his way around the yetis and elves that ran across his path. 

The Canadian followed the wind to the kitchen. North and Jack were cooking or baking something. It smelled pretty good.

"Hey Birdie!" The winter spirit greeted excitedly as he spotted him. Matthew walked over and put an arm around his waist. Jack leaned over and kissed his cheek. The Canadian blushed. "Try this."

Matthew opened his mouth and he put something in it. He chewed and smiled. "Maple taffy?" He asked.

"Da! Jack says you like maple." North hummed taking something out of the oven. The Reaper smiled and nodded.

"Maple is my favourite flavour of anything." He said as the Guardian of fun gave him more. He hummed happily munching on the candy. Jack took his hand and helped him sit on the counter. He sat up next to him. "Where's Kuma?" 

"Sleeping, probably." The winter spirit said kissing his cheek. He blushed slightly. "We gave him some honey."

"He must have loved that." Matthew smiled and both Guardians laughed.

"Considering he stole the pot, I think he liked it." North said. He heard some rustling and he was handed something from the older Guardian. It smelled really good. "Lemon poppyseed muffin."

"Thank you." The Reaper said taking the paper off. He hummed happily taking a bite of the warm fresh muffin. He could hear Jack crunching on his now frozen muffin. He heard North taking something else out of the oven.

"He went on a bit of a baking binge." Jack whispered in his ear leaning over. The Canadian laughed quietly. North kept handing him more pastries until he was stuffed.

"I think I'm going to join Kuma." Matthew groaned patting his stomach. "I'm so full."

"More for me!" The Guardian of wonder said rubbing his hands together. The Canadian smiled slipping off the counter. Jack hopped off and took his hand. "Have a good nap!"

"Thanks, North!" They called in unison as they started to walk. Matthew bit his lip, he needed to tell Jack about Sophie. The pair walked to their room. The winter spirit immediately flopped down with Kumakuro. The bear grumbled annoyed. The Canadian laughed and took off his shoes before crawling in next to his boyfriend.

"Jack?" The Reaper asked.

"Yeah?" The Guardian asked sounding nervous.

"I'm sorry, but Sophie Bennett died. Her family's car was hit by a drunk driver." Matthew explained. Jack gasped and he pulled him close to his chest. The Canadian pressed a gentle kiss into his hair. "Jamie and his mother were fine. Sophie didn't feel any pain either."

"She was so young." The Guardian said quietly. He moved his wing to cover them as Jack tucked his head under his chin. His fingers tangled in the Reaper's sweater. "She was such a good kid."

"She was. She's in a better place now. She'll be reborn as well. You could meet her again someday." Matthew said reassuringly. He rubbed soothing circles into his back. After a while he heard Jack's snores and sighed closing his eyes too.


	22. Chapter Twenty Two

Chapter Twenty Two

"I'm heading out for a bit." Matthew said kissing Jack's temple. The pair had just sat up in bed. Kumakuro was sleeping peacefully at the foot of the bed.

"Noooo." The winter spirit whined clinging to him. He laughed quietly nuzzling into his hair. "You don't have to go anywhere. You should stay."

"Yeah, but I want to get out for a bit." The Reaper sighed petting his hair. The Guardian hummed at his touch. "You can come if you want?"

"I think North wouldn't be too happy if I was late for the Guardian meeting when I live here." Jack grumbled. He had completely forgot that was today. At least he didn't have to go to them, but his boyfriend talked him into it more often than not. He was honestly surprised that none of the other Guardians had brought up him becoming a Guardian. He hoped they wouldn't, his opinion and choices hadn't changed. "Will you be back in time?"

"I don't know." Matthew shrugged. "I'd ask when it starts so I could be here, but I can't see a clock anyways."

The Canadian heard Jack try to hide a snort. He smiled and untangled the Guardian's arms from around his waist before standing up. Jack whined sadly and he leaned down to kiss him goodbye. The winter spirit smiled into it and kissed his forehead after they broke apart.

"I'll be back eventually." Matthew hummed giving him one last kiss before stepping away. He felt for shadows and stepped through the closest one to the roof. He smiled feeling the cold wind blow and ruffle his feathers. He pulled his hood up before jumping and flying.

The Reaper immediately went towards Canada. He always knew exactly where he was there. He felt safe and at home. He flew to a city and perched on the edge of a building. He relaxed listening to the people down below. He had no reason to be there, but he liked being outside and listening to people.

Matthew sat peacefully for a while before a death flashed across his mind. He sighed and stood up. He followed his instincts and helped the soul before flying back home to the pole. He landed at the front door and a yeti greeted him. He smiled and thanked him as he opened the door. Kumakuro was there waiting for him. He hummed placing his hand on the bears shoulders. He started to walk and guide him. 

The Canadian let his mind wander as they walked. It was quiet in the halls of the pole today. He wondered where Jack was. He wondered if the other Guardians were still there. He knew he should go say hi. He was friends with the other Guardians, but he was still a bit antisocial. He sighed and told Kumakuro to take him towards the workshop. He heard claws clicking towards them as they walked. He assumed it was a yeti and tuned out. 

Matthew yelped in surprise as someone grabbed him by the collar. He was roughly slammed against the wall. He gasped trying to get his breath back. He heard a growl as he felt for shadows. He recognized the form as Bunnymund. The Reaper snarled and struggled in his grip. He heard Kumakuro growl and he could smell blood. Bunny's hands were gone from his neck as he heard a loud thud. The bear had bit the Guardian's leg and dragged him off Matthew. Kumakuro was about to swipe at him with his claws.

"Kuma! Stop." The Canadian said quickly. He didn't like Bunny, but he didn't want him to get mulled by the bear. He'd rather do it himself. Kumakuro snarled at the rabbit, but stepped back towards him. "What do you want, Bunnymund?"

"What kind of spell did you put on them?" The Guardian demanded. He heard shuffling and knew the rabbit stood up. "Why would they like you otherwise? You're a reaper! A monster!"

Matthew growled and bit his lip to keep his mouth shut. He hated the rabbit and would absolutely love to hurt him, but he didn't want to break the trust he had with the other Guardians. He was pulled from his thoughts when he heard claws scratching again.

The Canadian quickly felt for shadows and immediately jumped into the air. He knew the Guardian was rushing at him. He found a shadow in the rafters and flew for it. He perched on the beam narrowing his eyes.

"Leave me alone, rabbit." Matthew growled through his teeth. "You don't want to piss me off more."

"Maybe I do." Bunny laughed. He could hear Kumakuro again and waved his hand telling him to stay back. He was still growling and snarling at the Guardian from underneath him. 

The Reaper noticed the shadows move and knew Bunny threw something. He didn't know what it was or where it was. Suddenly, his feet were knocked out from underneath him. He was falling, but didn't have time to react and correct himself. He landed hard on his shoulder with a grunt.

Matthew growled and pulled his dagger defensively. He could hear Bunny rushing at him. He quickly put up a force field in front of him. The Guardian ran head first into it. He growled and was about to charge again.

"Upon one summers morning." The Canadian started to sing. Bunny immediately froze. "I carefully did stray. Down by the Walls of Wapping where I met a sailor gay. Conversing with a young lass, who seem'd to be in pain. Saying, William, when you go, I fear you'll ne'er return again."

"Birdie?" Jack called hearing his singing. Matthew could feel the wind as he sang. He knew the winter spirit was on his way. He heard a light thump next to him and knew his boyfriend was there. "Bunny?!" He growled angrily.

The Reaper stopped singing, but the Guardian of hope didn't notice Jack and jumped at him. He heard his boyfriend growl and whack Bunny with his staff. He heard the older Guardian growl and back down. Matthew carefully rolled onto his feet and put his dagger away. He groaned as his shoulder ached.

"What are you doing Bunny?!" Jack yelled angrily from his side. 

"He attacked me!" Bunny said defensively. The Reaper scoffed.

"If Mattie attacked you, you wouldn't be standing." The winter spirit snapped. Matthew could hear footsteps and wings fluttering. He guessed the other Guardians were close. Bunny growled angrily hearing them.

Kumakuro walked to his side and nosed his hand. Matthew sighed and pet him letting his anger go. Jack on the other hand was still fuming, he could feel the cold coming from him. The Canadian felt for shadows and took the Guardian of fun's hand squeezing slightly.

"What happened here?" North asked as soon as he was close enough.

"The Reaper attacked me!" Bunny yelled. Matthew quickly shook his head.

"Matthew wouldn't do that." Tooth said. "He won't attack first."

"Birdie never attacks first." Jack said defensively. "Don't lie. You attacked him!"

"I didn't!" The Guardian of hope growled.

"You did. You grabbed me and pinned me against the wall. Kuma bit you to get you off of me. I warned you to stay back and leave me alone, but you didn't." Matthew said speaking up for the first time. "You're lucky I have a lot more patience than I used to."


	23. Chapter Twenty Three

Chapter Twenty Three

"You're lucky I have a lot more patience than I used to." Matthew said.

"You were probably just scared I'd beat you. You're blind! What could you do?" Bunny scoffed. 

The Canadian wrinkled his nose and frowned. He heard Jack growl angrily from his side. He felt the winter spirit move and felt for shadows. He had shot a blast of ice at the older Guardian pinning him to the wall. He heard him growl angrily and struggle against the ice.

"Jack." North said warningly.

"He deserves it!" The winter spirit said defensively. 

"Bunny, you just can't attack people." Tooth said gently. Matthew heard her fly by up to the rabbit. "Its not right."

"What spell did he put on you?" Bunny demanded.

"Spell? Matthew hasn't done anything accept be kind and respectful." North said. The Canadian gave a small smile. "He's our friend, Bunny. He hasn't done anything."

"I can see what you're thinking, Bunny. He's nothing like that." Tooth said gently. "Take your time and get to know him if he'll let you. I don't think you deserve it at this point."

"I don't want to take them away from you, Bunny. I'm not trying to turn them against you." Matthew shook his head. "I'm sorry you're thinking that."

"I'm not!" Bunny snapped. The Reaper rolled his eyes. He knew he was lying.

"I think you're just mad I love Matthew and not you." Jack said. He could hear the rabbit huff and laugh.

"Yeah right, Frostbite." Bunny grumbled. The Canadian knew he was lying. "You wish."

"No, I don't wish." The winter spirit snorted. His arm snaked around the Reaper's waist pulling him close to his side. "I'm more than happy and lucky to have who I have." He hummed kissing Matthew's temple. He couldn't help, but smile. "I doubt that will ever change." 

"I think you owe Matthew an apology." North said sternly.

"Yeah right." Bunny grumbled. "I'm so sorry." He said voice dripping with sarcasm.

The Reaper just shrugged. He wasn't going to say he accepted the apology when it was clearly sarcasm. Even if it wasn't, he didn't like or have any respect for the rabbit. He wouldn't have accepted a genuine apology.

"If you try anything like that again, I'll make it snow on Easter for at least a century." Jack threatened. He heard Bunny gulp. They both knew the Guardian of fun would definitely act on that threat. The rabbit tapped his foot and opened a tunnel. "Are you okay, Birdie?"

"Yeah, just landed hard on my shoulder." The Canadian shrugged. He winced at the soreness. Kumakuro nudged his side noticing his discomfort. "Just a bit sore."

"Let's get a yeti to check that out." North said and Matthew shook his head.

"I'm okay. It'll be just a bruise." The Reaper said reassuringly. He moved and rotated his shoulder. It was sore and stiff, but he knew there wasn't any bad damage.

"Better safe then sorry, da?" North said. "It'll only take a minute."

"Fine." Matthew sighed. He heard North clap his hands together and knew he was smiling. North cared a lot about him. It was a bit odd to him that someone other than Jack really cared for him. He was still getting used to it.

Jack leaned over and kissed his cheek as the older Guardians started to walk towards the medical wing. The trio started to follow them. Kumakuro walked a bit ahead of them trusting the winter spirit to lead his friend. He could easily navigate himself, but it was nice to have a break. They made it to the medical wing and North told him to sit up on the bed. He did as he was told and Jack hopped up next to him. He could still hear Tooth's wings and assumed Sandy was there too.

A yeti came in after a few minutes. He easily recognized her as his doctor from her voice. The yeti had been the one to do all the check ups and help him in the first place. He felt a bit bad that he didn't know her name, but he wasn't sure if he'd be able to pronounce it. She checked his shoulder over and told North he was fine. The Russian translated for him. 

The Guardians stayed and talked for a while before Tooth and Sandy had to leave. Matthew and Jack sat on one of the couches with Kumakuro curled up at their feet. He yawned quietly and the Guardian shifted kissing his forehead. He smiled sleepily.

"Tired, Birdie?" Jack asked and he nodded. The winter spirit stood up with him in his arms. Kumakuro growled quietly as Matthew was moved, but realized it was just him. He jumped off the couch and trailed behind them.

The Reaper rested his head on his boyfriend's chest as he was carried. He sighed contently. Jack pushed the door to their room open and held it with his foot for Kumakuro. He set Matthew on the bed and took off his shoes for him. The Canadian reached out looking for the Guardian. Jack guided his hands to his face and smiled under his touch.

The pair laid back together on the bed. The winter spirit hummed happily curled up on Matthew's chest. The Reaper had an arm around his waist as he played with his hair. Kumakuro was curled up at their side.

"Sorry about Bunny." Jack said. The Canadian sighed. "He's an ass."

"Yeah, I know he is." Matthew said reassuringly. "You don't need to apologize for his actions."

"He should though!" The Guardian grumbled.

"I don't suspect to ever get a true apology from him. I don't care either." The Reaper admitted. "If there's a next time I don't think I'll hold back on him."

"Good." The winter spirit mumbled. "You shouldn't have apologized to him though."

"Jack, I'm Canadian. I apologize to inanimate objects I accidentally bump into." Matthew smiled. He heard his boyfriend snort and laugh. "You worry too much about what others do to me or say about me. I can defend myself."

"I know you can and I know I worry too much, but I've got good reasons to." Jack sighed. 

The Canadian nodded. He leaned down and kissed him gently. Matthew could never get enough of his touch. He went in for another kiss as soon as they broke apart. Jack smiled into it as his fingers tangled in his hair.

"Je t'aime." The Reaper said kissing his nose.

"I love you too, so much." The Guardian hummed. Matthew smiled and suddenly broke into a yawn. His boyfriend laughed quietly and kissed his collarbone. "Sleep, Birdie."

The Reaper nodded and closed his eyes. Jack rested his head on his chest listening to his heart beat as they fell asleep.

Finished writing on January 9th 2019  
Finished editing on January 14th 2019 

AN: Done! Might do a third to this series since DFTR has three books. I still want to wrap up Bunny vs Matthew as well as getting the souls back from Pitch. Next fic tho! I'll post an announcement when there's a third.


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